ESPN’s answer to LSU football’s biggest archenemy comes with a familiar sting: Nick Saban.
The network set out on Friday to identify the top all-time rival for every power conference program, and for the Tigers, it landed on the former LSU head coach. It’s a choice that makes plenty of sense given how Saban’s career unfolded in Baton Rouge and beyond.
Saban spent five seasons leading LSU from 2000 to 2004, winning two SEC titles and the 2003 national championship. After leaving for the NFL, he eventually resurfaced in college football with Alabama, where he built a dynasty and added six more national titles to his résumé.
That Alabama run included the 2011 championship game against LSU, a meeting that only sharpened the connection between Saban and the Tigers in the eyes of college football fans. Today, he’s widely viewed as the greatest coach in the sport’s history, with LSU serving as one of the defining chapters in that story.
Saban also took a playful shot at new LSU head coach Lane Kiffin during SEC Media Days, using his own return to Baton Rouge as the example while discussing Kiffin’s future trips back to Oxford.
“You’re going to break the record for the ass-kicking you get for the place you go back,” Saban told Kiffin. “Because I have it right now when I went back to LSU after leaving and going to Alabama. I’ll give you some coaching points on how to get through that.”
Saban is now retired from college coaching, but LSU will still see Alabama on the schedule this season. The Tigers and Crimson Tide are set to meet November 7 at Tiger Stadium.
In Other News...
LSU Camp Just Raised A New Question Up Front
LSUs latest camp workout was a shells practice, with helmets, shoulder pads and shorts, and the Tigers now get a day off before returning to work. Even in a lighter setting, there were a few notable personnel wrinkles, including linebacker Jaiden Braker spending time with the EDGE group as the staff continues sorting out where pieces fit heading deeper into camp.
The bigger question up front came at right tackle, where projected starter Weston Davis was not on the field and Tennessee transfer William Satterwhite II handled snaps in his place. There was also a different kind of update on TreDez Green, who wore a no-contact gold jersey but still took part in pass drills, a small sign that LSU is managing several moving parts while it tries to settle the lineup and keep important contributors on track. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Freshmen Are Already Turning Heads On The Defensive Line
ESPNs latest look at freshmen expected to make an early splash in 2026 put a familiar spotlight on the SEC, with 10 conference newcomers cracking its top 10 and quarterbacks Jared Curtis at Vanderbilt and Faizon Brandon at Tennessee drawing the loudest attention. But for LSU, the buzz has been starting up front, where a pair of young defensive tackles have already carved out a reputation in fall camp before the season has even arrived.
Deuce Geralds and Richard Anderson have been among the freshmen drawing notice on LSUs defensive line, a group that always carries outsized importance in Baton Rouge. The Tigers do not need their newcomers to carry the unit right away, but when freshmen interior linemen start standing out this early, it tends to tell you something about both their talent and the opportunity in front of them. [Read more 🡒]
Princewill Umanmielen Is Already Raising Expectations For LSUs Defense
Lane Kiffins move from Ole Miss to LSU brought more than just a fresh start for the Tigers defense. It also delivered Princewill Umanmielen, the top-ranked edge rusher in the transfer portal, and he has wasted little time working his way into the conversation in Baton Rouge. Through fall camp, Umanmielen has been practicing with LSUs first-team defense, a sign that the staff views him as a major piece in Blake Bakers plans.
LSU did not bring him in for depth alone. Umanmielen arrives with real production behind him after posting nine sacks and 13 tackles for loss at Ole Miss, and the Tigers are counting on that kind of disruption off the edge to sharpen a defense that wants to be more aggressive. The early test now is how quickly he translates that rsum into impact once the games begin, with expectations already climbing before his first snap in purple and gold. [Read more 🡒]