If you’re looking for the biggest winner of college football’s wild offseason, LSU has the cleanest case.
This wasn’t a normal winter. Fifteen head coaches were fired last fall, with names like James Franklin, Brian Kelly, Mike Gundy, and Mark Stoops among the casualties. That created more than 30 openings nationwide and sent the sport into a frenzy that felt bigger than anything in recent memory.
The most dramatic moment came when Lane Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU on the eve of a College Football Playoff run. Rebels fans even chased Kiffin and the other defectors all the way to the airport.
Now the Tigers are dealing with the consequences of that shakeup, and the expectations in Baton Rouge have climbed fast. With the changes they’ve made and the money poured into the roster, LSU is suddenly in the mix to get back to the playoff for the first time since winning it all in 2019.
On3’s Ari Wasserman says LSU is the offseason’s top team.
In his ranking of the programs that have gained the most since December, LSU landed No. 1. Oklahoma State followed, then USC, Michigan, and Florida.
The Tigers’ roster haul is the kind of thing that changes a program’s outlook overnight. LSU brought in more than 40 transfers, including several players viewed as some of the best available in the portal. The recruiting side was strong too, with a top-15 prep class led by four top-100 defensive linemen, including five-stars Lamar Brown and Richard Anderson.
“Just getting Kiffin brought LSU back to relevance, but what the program did after his arrival was on the table,” Wasserman wrote. “LSU invested roughly $40 million in its roster, landing one of the country’s premier transfer portal classes, including quarterback Sam Leavitt, offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, safety Ty Benefield, edge rusher Princely Umanmielen, and others.”
Oklahoma State’s rise came in a very different way. After moving on from Mike Gundy, the Cowboys hired Eric Morris, who quickly brought over much of the top talent from his North Texas team. That group includes quarterback Drew Mestemaker, running back Caleb Hawkins, and wide receiver Wyatt Young.
The rankings may not jump off the page at first glance, but Morris has enough experienced talent to make Oklahoma State a real factor in the Big 12 in year one. Mestemaker, in particular, has the kind of ceiling that could turn him into one of the sport’s stars.
USC was the only top-five program in Wasserman’s list that didn’t make a coaching change. Lincoln Riley had already recruited well in his first four seasons, but this cycle took things to another level. The Trojans signed the No. 1 high school class in 2026, a group that includes eight top-100 signees and five-stars Luke Wafle at EDGE and tight end Mark Bowman.
USC also kept most of its key players in place, including quarterback Jayden Maiava. The Trojans signed just nine transfers, but several should help right away: four-star cornerback Jontez Williams from Iowa State, four-star wide receiver Terrell Anderson from NC State, and four-star EDGE Zuriah Fisher from Penn State.
Michigan’s offseason turned chaotic at the end. Former head coach Sherron Moore was fired when the candidate pool had already thinned out, and the Wolverines responded by landing veteran coach Kyle Whittingham from Utah.
Whittingham helped keep wide receiver Andrew Marsh, offensive lineman Andrew Sprague, and running back Bryson Kuzdzal in the program. He also pulled in multiple transfers from Utah, including four-star EDGE John Henry Daley, four-star wide receiver JJ Buchanan, and four-star cornerback Smith Snowden.
Michigan also signed a top-15 prep class and five-star running back Savion Hiter, but the biggest question still hangs over Bryce Underwood. His development will shape how far the Wolverines can go.
Florida made its own major change by firing Billy Napier and turning to Jon Sumrall, another G6 coach out of Louisiana, this time from Tulane. The move has already given Gainesville a different feel.
The Gators kept some key pieces, including running back Jadan Baugh. Linebacker Myles Graham, EDGE Jayden Woods, wide receivers Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III are also back.
Sumrall quickly guided Florida to top-20 transfer portal and prep classes, and that momentum has carried into the 2027 cycle. The Gators currently hold the No. 8 haul in the country, highlighted by five-star offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller, four-star quarterback Davin Davidson, and four-star wide receiver Elias Pearl.
In Other News...
Ex-LSU Coordinator Joe Sloan Is Suddenly Drawing Serious SEC Buzz
Joe Sloans path back into the SEC has come quickly. After being promoted to LSU offensive coordinator in 2024 and helping guide a passing attack that ranked near the top of the league, Sloan is now set to run Kentuckys offense for first-year head coach Will Stein, who hired him to call plays and shape the Wildcats attack. Stein has been open about valuing Sloans communication and recruiting chops, and that combination has already started to resonate in Lexington.
The move also carries a little extra edge for LSU fans because Sloans next big stage comes against his old program on October 10. Kentucky believes it has added a coach who can connect with players and make an immediate imprint, and portal quarterback Kenny Minchey has already pointed to Sloan as one of the main reasons he landed with the Wildcats. For Sloan, though, the real test will be whether that buzz turns into production against the very team that moved on from him after last season's offensive slump. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Just Took Another Painful Recruiting Hit In The Secondary
The secondary recruiting board took another hit in the 2027 cycle when four-star safety Adryan Cole of Douglasville, Ga., came off the board. One of the more coveted defensive backs in the country, Cole is ranked among the top safeties in the Rivals 300 and had LSU, Florida and Ole Miss in the mix before making his choice.
For LSU, the miss is part of a broader race that is still very much in motion, even if the Tigers have already added some help in the defensive backfield. Georgias class keeps piling up blue-chip talent, and Cole becomes its lone defensive back commitment so far, a reminder that the early recruiting map can shift quickly as the cycle moves deeper. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Finally Gets A Louisiana Rivalry Back Fans Never Wanted Gone
A familiar in-state matchup is finally back on the calendar, with LSU and Tulane set to meet again in 2030 after a 21-year break. The game will be played at Tiger Stadium, bringing one of Louisiana footballs oldest rivalries back into the spotlight after a long absence.
The series has been heavily tilted LSUs way over the years, with the Tigers leading 69-22-7 and riding an 18-game winning streak. The last time these teams met was in 2009, when LSU rolled to a 42-0 win, but the return of the rivalry still adds a little extra juice to the future schedule. [Read more 🡒]