LSU is headed into another season with an eye on the NFL pipeline, and a handful of seniors look positioned to keep that factory humming. With the 2027 draft set for the nation’s capital in April, these Tigers have a real chance to hear their names called - and a few more could still land deals as undrafted free agents in the days that follow.
Ty Benefield sits near the top of that list. The transfer from Boise State has quickly become one of the most highly regarded players in Baton Rouge, and Lane Kiffin’s staff has labeled him an “ultra-elite” talent.
Kiffin didn’t hide the admiration on the In The Bayou podcast with former LSU safety Tyrann Mathieu: "I think Ty is going to be one of those legends to play here," Kiffin said on the In The Bayou podcast with former LSU safety Tyrann Mathieu. "He's wired right, he's got unbelievable range, great ball skills, and I said you have to get him up here to meet you to just connect it."
Benefield backed that reputation in 2025 with two interceptions and 107 tackles, and he has missed only one game in his college career. That kind of range and reliability makes him the sort of defensive back NFL teams will circle early.
Up front, Princewill Umanmielen brings the kind of pressure package that can change a game fast. After two seasons at Nebraska and one year at Ole Miss under Kiffin, he arrives in Baton Rouge coming off a 44-tackle, nine-sack season.
At 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds, he has the size and burst to chase down quarterbacks, and he’s expected to be a constant problem for opposing offenses. LSU’s single-season sack record stands at 12, set by Arden Key in 2016, and Umanmielen is the type of edge rusher who could put that number in play.
NFL teams already have him on the radar, and 2026 should only help his stock.
Harold Perkins Weeks chose not to leave for the NFL after the 2025 season, opting for one more run under a new staff. Injuries are the main concern here, since he played in only eight games last year and finished with 31 tackles.
Even so, his value goes beyond the box score. He was a captain in 2025 and is expected to wear No. 18 for LSU this year, a number reserved for the team’s standout leader.
That combination of production and leadership should keep him in the draft conversation, likely in the later rounds.
Wideout Barion Brown also arrives with a résumé that should travel well to the next level. He spent three years as a standout at Kansas State before entering the portal and heading to Baton Rouge, and his career numbers tell the story: 17.1 yards per catch and 13 touchdowns.
LSU’s receiver room is crowded, but Brown should still be a featured target for quarterback Sam Leavitt. If he builds on the kind of season he put together in Manhattan, Kan., he has a chance to push himself into day two territory.
Braelin Moore rounds out the group, and he brings the kind of offensive line experience NFL teams love. Now in his second year as LSU’s center after three seasons at Virginia Tech, he has started every game for the last three years and also has experience at left guard.
His LSU debut was strong enough to earn SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors after the Tigers beat Clemson 17-10, and that same defense opens LSU’s 2026 season. Moore has allowed only four sacks in his college career, including just one last year, and that kind of steadiness makes him a dependable option for a pro team.
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Lane Kiffin Already Turned LSU Into The SECs Biggest Target
Lane Kiffins arrival in Baton Rouge has already changed the temperature around LSU, and not just inside the program. After Brian Kellys departure, the Tigers moved quickly to remake the roster, landing a top transfer portal class that included former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt. The talent upgrade gives LSU a different look entering the season, but it has also made the Tigers a bigger talking point across the SEC.
A lot of the edge around LSU right now traces back to Kiffin himself, with his move from Ole Miss still lingering in the background as conference rivals size up the Tigers. The schedule will give everyone a measuring stick soon enough, and the trip to Ole Miss looms as a major one for both teams. For LSU, it is the kind of game that can sharpen the early perception of Kiffins new era almost immediately. [Read more 🡒]
Lafayette Christian Faces One Defining Question After Crushing Finish
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The biggest question sits at quarterback, where the staff is sorting through options as it prepares for a new season. There is plenty to like about the rest of the depth chart, but how that job settles will go a long way toward determining whether Lafayette Christian can convert last years heartbreak into another deep run. [Read more 🡒]