LSU is trying to flip the script on offense, and the personnel overhaul suggests it could happen fast. With Lane Kiffin taking over and more than 40 transfers arriving this offseason - 27 of them on offense - the Tigers are rebuilding on the fly while learning an up-tempo, complicated system before the Sept. 5 opener against Clemson.
That sets the stage for a big year in Baton Rouge, and three names stand out as potential difference-makers: the running backs, tight end Trey'Dez Green and transfer receiver Jackson Harris.
The clearest leap could come on the ground. LSU finished last in the SEC last season with just 104 rushing yards per game, a glaring weak spot for an offense that struggled to establish any rhythm.
That kind of production is hard to imagine carrying over if Kiffin’s track record means anything. At Ole Miss, his teams led the SEC in rushing in 2020 at 210.6 yards per game and again in 2022 at 256.6.
The Rebels also finished third in 2021 at 217.6 yards per game, then fifth in both 2023 (176.3) and 2024 (175.7), before ending last season sixth at 176.3. LSU now has the kind of backfield depth to chase that kind of production, with Wisconsin transfer redshirt sophomore Dilin Jones joined by sophomore Harlem Berry, junior Caden Durham and redshirt sophomore Stacy Gage.
Add an improved offensive line, and a top-three SEC rushing finish suddenly looks realistic.
Green is another player who could turn this offense into something far more dangerous. The junior tight end broke out in 2025 with 33 catches for 433 yards and seven touchdowns in just 11 games and six starts, despite fighting through a right knee injury.
At 6-foot-7 and 237 pounds, he already looks like a mismatch problem. Green said at SEC Media Days in July, "Everything that Coach Kiff and Coach Weis have told me that they were going to do has happened so far, and I'm loving it," Green said at SEC Media Days in July.
"And I'm having so much fun in this offense. This tempo offense is just so unfair for defenses.
I feel like when you put me in a different position and I can make plays, it's just unstoppable.
"I get matched up with corners, I get matched up with safeties and linebackers. By us going to tempo, we catch teams off-guard.
You know, we catch teams that usually go into the drop eight. We get quick throws, we take what they give us and it's been so amazing what they have been doing with me in creating the mismatches."
That kind of usage points to a bigger year. Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers led all tight ends with 769 receiving yards last season, and with a binder full of plays designed for Green, topping 700 receiving yards feels well within reach.
The most important transfer receiver might be Jackson Harris. LSU brought in nine wideouts through the portal, but the Hawaii transfer stands out because of what he already proved in one season with the Rainbow Warriors: 49 catches, 963 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Those 12 scores ranked sixth nationally, and his 19.7 yards per catch ranked eighth. At 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds, Harris brings both size and burst, and he’s been one of Sam Leavitt’s top targets through spring and fall.
He has also looked like either the WR1 or WR2 entering 2026.
Harris described himself this way in January: "I'm just a smooth operator," Harris told Geaux247's Andre Champagne in January. "I know my job and I do my job at a high level, but at the same time, I can extend plays.
I can make small plays out of nothing. I'm going to take a hitch to the house.
I'm running over the top of the defense. I'm very versatile.
I'm a hard worker and I want to be the best, so you're going to see that on the field."
With his connection to Leavitt continuing to grow and Harris showing up consistently in fall camp, he looks like the best bet to lead LSU’s receivers in touchdown catches.
In Other News...
LSU Suddenly Has A Fall Camp Concern Before Clemson
LSUs 12th fall camp practice brought a little more clarity in one spot and a little more concern in another as the Tigers continued their buildup to Clemson. Sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett was back on the field in a non-contact jersey for the first time this preseason, but he still took part in drills and did not appear limited during the media viewing period.
The bigger question came from the absences, with sophomore running back Harlem Berry and junior defensive end Jordan Ross out again after missing the previous days work. For a camp already shaped by the push toward the opener, repeated missed practice time at two key spots is the kind of development LSU will keep watching closely even as junior quarterback Sam Leavitt continued to look sharp and efficient, connecting on several passes including deep throws. [Read more 🡒]
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For a program that has leaned on change in recent years, Orgerons presence offers something different: familiarity, urgency and a clear sense of what the Tigers have been in the past. He remains known for the kind of passionate coaching style that can light up a practice field, and LSU is also counting on the recruiting edge that helped define his rise through the game. Even without a headline role, he has quickly become one of the more interesting additions around the program this fall. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Has A New Defensive Tackle Battle Fans Need To Watch
LSU is in the final stages of its offseason work with Lane Kiffins debut game against Clemson looming, and one of the more interesting subplots in Fall Camp is developing right in the middle of the defensive front. The Tigers added three defensive linemen last December, and all three true freshmen are now getting meaningful chances to show they belong as LSU sorts through its defensive tackle options.
The competition has become a real camp storyline because the staff is giving significant first-team run to a trio of newcomers, which says plenty about how unsettled the depth chart still is. For a defense that wants to be ready when the season opener arrives, the next stretch of camp will help determine how quickly the line can settle into place and which young tackles can handle the pressure of playing early. [Read more 🡒]