What looked like a done deal for LSU may now be slipping through their fingers - and fast.
Jordan Seaton, the highly-coveted offensive lineman and former five-star recruit, had all the signs of being Baton Rouge-bound. After transferring from Colorado, where he stacked back-to-back all-conference seasons, Seaton visited LSU last weekend and even extended his stay through Monday. He skipped a scheduled trip to Oregon and took a tour of the Louisiana Governor’s Mansion - a move that felt like the final stamp on what was shaping up to be a marquee get for Brian Kelly and the Tigers.
But just when it seemed LSU had locked it down, the script flipped.
On Tuesday, photos surfaced of Seaton and his uncle boarding a flight to Atlanta. That alone raised eyebrows.
Then came the news that both Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and Oregon’s Dan Lanning were in Georgia, making a final push to sway the elite lineman. Suddenly, a recruitment that felt all but finished had new life - and new complications.
According to LSU insider Matt Moscona, the tug-of-war isn’t about football fit or facilities. It’s about influence.
“Seaton, I think, wants to be at LSU,” Moscona said on his podcast this week. But there’s a catch - his uncle has reportedly been pushing for Oregon, and that pressure has been felt throughout the recruitment process.
The visit to Eugene never happened, but the intent behind it lingers. Moscona described the situation as one where control is at the heart of the holdup.
“In some instances, these types of recruitments can be about control, and I think that’s what we’re looking at right now.”
The longer this drags out, the tougher it gets for LSU.
Classes have already started in Baton Rouge. While the school made an exception for another transfer, defensive lineman Princewill Umanmielen, to enroll late, Seaton’s case may not get the same leniency - especially if things continue to stall. Missing spring practice is a real possibility, and that’s a big deal for a lineman expected to step in and contribute immediately.
LSU was feeling confident last Sunday. By Friday, that confidence had clearly taken a hit. Moscona didn’t mince words: the Tigers’ chances of landing Seaton are dwindling.
This recruitment has become a high-stakes chess match, with multiple programs in play and off-field dynamics shaping the outcome just as much as on-field opportunity. Seaton came into the portal with an asking price reportedly starting at $2.5 million - a number that’s rumored to have climbed to $4 million as interest surged. Mississippi State and Miami hosted visits, but LSU and Oregon emerged as the real contenders down the stretch.
Now, it’s a waiting game. LSU made their pitch, and for a moment, it looked like they’d sealed the deal. But as the clock ticks and the semester rolls on, the Tigers may find themselves watching one of the top linemen in the country slip away - not because of a lack of effort, but because of a power struggle they can’t control.