USA Today Sports has Kirby Smart sitting atop its SEC coaches rankings, with Georgia’s head coach at No. 1 in Blake Toppmeyer’s latest list.
Smart is followed by Texas’ Steve Sarkisian at No. 2 and Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer at No. 3. LSU’s Lane Kiffin comes in at No. 4, and Toppmeyer’s write-up focused on both Kiffin’s talent and the baggage that has followed him from stop to stop.
“4. Lane Kiffin, LSU
Just as Kiffin delivered the finest achievement of his career, taking Mississippi to the playoff, he left town amid an ugly breakup. That’s Lane for you.
Ole Miss got the full Kiffin Experience - the good, the bad, the drama. Now, LSU wants a dose.
Optics of Kiffin’s exit aside, he’s never been a better coach than he is now. He remains a masterful quarterback developer.
He not only acquires top transfer talent, he blends it. His assignment at LSU: Prove he can handle the program’s demanding expectations.”
Toppmeyer’s full SEC ranking runs from Smart at No. 1 all the way to Arkansas’ Ryan Silverfield at No. 16.
The rest of the list includes Tennessee’s Josh Heupel at No. 5, Texas A&M’s Mike Elko at No.
6, Missouri’s Eliah Drinkwitz at No. 7, Florida’s Jon Sumrall at No.
8, Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea at No. 9, Oklahoma’s Brent Venables at No.
10, Auburn’s Alex Golesh at No. 11, Ole Miss’ Pete Golding at No.
12, South Carolina’s Shane Beamer at No. 13, Kentucky’s Will Stein at No.
14, Mississippi State’s Jeff Lebby at No. 15 and Silverfield at No. 16.
In Other News...
LSU Just Won Another Big In-State Battle In The Secondary
LSUs push to stay ahead of the curve in the secondary picked up another important in-state win, and this one fits the long view the staff has been selling. The Tigers have been working not just on the upcoming season, but on the 2027 cycle as well, and adding a highly regarded Louisiana defensive back keeps that pipeline moving in the right direction.
The latest commitment also gives LSU a chance to think beyond the immediate depth chart. The prospect arrives with plenty of room to grow and should have time to develop before he is asked to make a real impact, and there is at least some built-in familiarity around the program with his brother already on the roster. For a team trying to stack talent in the state and keep the secondary stocked for years to come, it is the kind of move that can pay off in more ways than one. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Opener Already Has Clemson Facing Massive Pressure
Clemsons season opener against LSU is already carrying the kind of weight that usually comes later in the fall, with ESPN and ACC Network analyst EJ Manuel calling it a must-win game for the Tigers playoff hopes. With LSU on the other sideline, the matchup gives Clemson an early chance to build a rsum that could matter plenty if the ACC schedule gets messy down the line, and it also arrives with plenty of attention on how the offense will look under returning coordinator Chad Morris.
The quarterback picture is part of why the buildup feels so unsettled. Christopher Vizzina is viewed as the favorite to start, but Tait Reynolds is considered a real challenger, and Clemsons decision not to send a quarterback to ACC Kickoff only added to the sense that the competition is still open. For a team trying to make a statement right away, the opener now feels like more than just a high-profile game - it is also an early test of how quickly Clemson can settle its most important position. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Running Back Battle Just Took A Frustrating New Turn
LSUs running back room has become one of the more interesting parts of the roster heading into the fall, and not just because of the names on it. Dilin Jones arrives from Wisconsin with a rsum that includes seven starts, 300 rushing yards and two touchdowns before a toe injury ended his season, while Caden Durham and Harlem Berry both bring their own flashes from last year. Add in the extra portal help LSU brought in, and there is no shortage of bodies for a staff that wants competition to sort out the depth chart.
Still, the frustration comes from how hard it is to know what the Tigers will actually get once the games start. Durham never topped 70 rushing yards in any of LSUs final nine games after his 95-yard outing against Florida, and Berrys best moments were often swallowed up by game flow, including the Texas A&M matchup when he was rolling before the run game faded from the plan. Lane Kiffins approach is to give everyone a fresh chance, but for LSU, the real question is whether that reset leads to clarity or just a longer wait for answers. [Read more 🡒]