LSU Tigers
Greener Grass
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Some thought that it was a done deal on the Ole Miss bye week two weeks ago, some still think there’s a chance for Houdini-like turn, but wherever it actually was finalized on that timeline, the Lane Train is headed to Baton Rouge.
Lane Kiffin, in the midst of Ole Miss’ first appearance in the College Football Playoff, has agreed to terms with LSU to lead the Bayou Bengals as the next Head Football Coach.
Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding will take over as the Interim Head Coach for the Rebels.
The highly scrutinized exit from Oxford for the, now former, coach of the Ole Miss Rebels comes after leading Ole Miss to an 11-1 regular season mark with the only blemish coming at the hands of Georgia 43-35 in mid-October.
Many believe (at least before Kiffin’s departure) that the Rebels would be a lock for a first round home game at Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium as the Rebels were ranked #7 in the CFP Committee rankings entering the final week of the regular season.
LSU decided to make a change and fired Brian Kelly following a loss against Texas A&M in late October after three and a half years and a 34-14 record in the Bayou.
While the firing had its fair share of controversy itself, it sparked the coaching search form LSU, that seemed to be focused on Kiffin from the word “go.”
It’s not so much of the fact that Kiffin is leaving Ole Miss to coach the LSU Tigers, but how the entire process came to fruition.
Ole Miss had an open date the week prior to the last regular season match-up, and rumors began floating then that members of the Kiffin family made trips to Baton Rouge and Gainesville (with rumors also he was interested in the Florida job).
Many within the LSU Athletics community felt that the decision was made during that week by both Kiffin and LSU.
However, much to ESPN’s Marty Smith’s dismay, it drug out much longer than that. Kiffin and Ole Miss AD, Keith Carter made the announcement leading into rivalry weekend that the decision of the future of Coach Kiffin would be made Saturday after the Friday Egg Bowl meeting with Mississippi State.
The Rebels handled the in-state rival Bulldogs with a 38-19 win, and then the waiting began across college football.
Saturday came and went with no announcement, but some loud rumors coming from the Magnolia state. Rumors that Kiffin was heading to LSU and had told coaching staff that if they wanted to come with him, they needed to decide immediately and leave prior to the anticipated College Football Playoff run.
Reports are that most of the offensive staff, including offensive coordinator, Charlie Weis Jr., will be following Kiffin to LSU. After delayed team meetings and many “expert” conspiracies, the announcement came down Sunday afternoon that indeed Lane Kiffin would be taking over as the head football coach at LSU.
Why did it take this long? While there are many berating Kiffin on social media on how he handled the situation (and not saying that it was perfect by any means), I truly believe that it would have been immensely smoother if Texas hadn’t beaten Texas A&M on Friday.
With the Longhorns victory, it signaled that Ole Miss had a chance to play for the SEC Championship if Auburn had beaten Alabama on Saturday evening.
At the end of the day, there’s not a whole lot of warm feelings between Lane Kiffin and the Oxford contingency, but it will make next year’s game in Oxford between LSU and Ole Miss one to watch!
The Next Man In The Bayou?
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
LSU is college football’s latest tier 1 team to fire their coach and enter the most exciting coaching carousel in recent history.
Not only are the Tigers in the mix, but they also move right to the front of the line as the top job available.
Brian Kelly’s 34-14 record wasn’t the type of failure that we typically see associated with major program firings. At a program with expectations like Louisiana State University, 34-14 with no championships isn’t good enough.
In a coaching cycle that’s already breaking buyout records and showcasing major names, LSU is a job that will attract the best and brightest.
In most cases, what this new job was and what it is can be two completely different things.
In LSU’s case, there may be no better time to demand the best of the best. With that in mind, here’s a look at some upside vs. challenges that the next coach will face at LSU.
If you could design the perfect recruiting base, it might be LSU. Though in-state players leave at times, the best from Louisiana often stay home to play for the Tigers.
There’s a state pride connection to the university like no other, and that’s a great starting point, considering Louisiana produces the most NFL players per capita.
The Tigers also border Texas to the east giving them easy access to pop into the nation’s most talented recruits. Their proximity to Mississippi and the rest of the Greater Southeast means that LSU has a geographical and reputational footprint many programs envy.
At their best, they can be a national recruiter going coast-to-coast and up and down the eastern seaboard. LSU possesses access and natural advantages when it comes to talent. They are among the best in the country.
We’ve already discussed the recruiting base as an advantage, but it can’t be overstated how big of a jump that gives the Tigers in potential roster building.
Additionally, LSU has one of the country’s best game day environments with night games in Death Valley. Their prodigious number of former Tigers in the NFL makes LSU an attractive option for players looking to reach the next level.
Though Kelly was vocal about the need for more NIL money at times, the Tigers showed the ability to be big spenders this past offseason with a roster value estimated to be around $30 million, according to sources.
LSU also has a sizable front office, having put together one of the country’s top personnel groups.
A new coach may want to restructure some, but the support is already in place for a plug-and-play candidate.
It’s still early in the aftermath, but all indications are that LSU recruiting class looks stable and the Tigers’ roster seems to be in the same shape under interim coach Frank Wilson.
Unlike most jobs where there’s major upheaval following a change, the right staff could retain key pieces and be set up for success in year one.
Louisiana is home to good food, good music and generally messy politics. With LSU playing in the state capital of Baton Rouge, those politics are right on the doorstep.
In fact, Louisiana governor Jeff Landry went to social media and voiced his disapproval of LSU’s rising season ticket prices after Saturday’s 49-24 beat down against Texas A&M and played a big part to remove Kelly.
Landry’s role is more out of necessity at the moment because LSU is without a school president. Still, political influence and pressure to win is at an all-time high within the program.
The Tigers showed the ability to raise the funds necessary to compete with the best in the country this year, but they will need continued contributions to stay at that level.
That can be difficult when LSU’s other athletic programs have mouths to feed. Their baseball program and women’s basketball team are both among the nation’s elite while their men’s basketball hopes to rise again. In the rev-share era, those can be tough waters to navigate for an athletic department.
There’s a reason this opening resonated within the industry when news of Kelly’s departure broke. Many in the industry consider LSU an elite job, if not the best.
No place has more natural advantages, I think it’s the easiest place to win in the country when you consider all of the factors.
Look no further than Les Miles and Ed Orgeron winning national titles during their time there. No school has the access they do to the amount of talent needed to win, and the administration has shown time and again they will back them if needed.
I don’t think people outside of the state understand how powerful the Tiger’s brand is in that region. It’s everywhere in Louisiana, and because of the displacement from Katrina, it’s moved into Texas and Florida and other parts of the Southeast.
I think the fit matters. We saw it with Kelly, and I think you have to understand you’re recruiting and coaching a different type of player there. If they find a guy who understands that the sky is the limit.
Just days removed from the decision, any talk of concrete names is still premature. But it’s safe to say that Lane Kiffin is a top contender.
Kiffin is likely to be the belle of the coaching ball with Florida also in play and Ole Miss working to extend his contract.
My short list includes former Penn State coach James Franklin, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who previously called plays for LSU during their 2019 championship season, and Tulane coach Jon Sumrall.
Given the attractiveness of the position, LSU could even take a big swing inside NFL circles. Athletic director Scott Woodward said that he intended on a national coaching search, and the Tigers should use everything at their disposal to attract the best candidates.
You Ain’t From Round Here
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I need to preface this opinion piece by sharing that I’m a Louisiana boy.
It’s where I was born, where I went to college, and I have been a fan of the LSU Tigers since I was big enough to pick up a ball.
I could tell from day one that Brian Kelly just didn’t fit at LSU.
Folks in Louisiana can smell when someone’s not genuine, and from that first awkward “fam-uh-lee” speech, it was clear he wasn’t one of us.
He came to the bayou from Notre Dame, a polished outsider with a big reputation, but he never seemed to understand that LSU football isn’t just a job. It’s a way of life.
In Louisiana LSU football is part religion, part family reunion, and part street parade.
When Saturday rolls around, the whole state moves to the rhythm of Tiger Stadium.
We like our coaches with a little grit, a little edge, and a whole lot of heart.
Nick Saban had the drive, Les Miles had the magic, and Ed Orgeron sounded like the bayou itself.
Brian Kelly, on the other hand, always felt like he was reading off a script written by someone else.
Now, to be fair, the man could coach. He won plenty of games at Notre Dame and came to Baton Rouge with a plan. But plans don’t win you over in Louisiana.
Passion does. And that was the problem. Kelly treated LSU like a business venture. He ran it like a CEO, not like a coach trying to rally a community that bleeds purple and gold.
He fired longtime strength coach Tommy Moffitt, a guy everyone respected and trusted. He shuffled assistants like playing cards. He even complained about NIL money instead of figuring out how to make it work.
In the SEC, that’s like bringing a butter knife to a crawfish boil. You’re already behind.
At first, things looked promising. His first season brought a win over Alabama and a trip to the SEC Championship Game. Then Jayden Daniels won the Heisman, and folks thought maybe Kelly had turned the corner. But cracks started showing fast.
The defense was a mess one year, the offense sputtered the next. Players didn’t seem inspired. You could see it in the way they played, talented but not tough. LSU teams are supposed to hit you in the mouth.
Kelly’s Tigers looked more like they were trying to make it to Monday.
And that’s when the politics kicked in, because in Louisiana, everything eventually turns political.
After that home loss to Texas A&M, the governor himself, Jeff Landry, was reportedly in on the decision to fire Kelly. Let me tell you, when the governor’s mansion gets involved in a coaching decision, you know it’s serious.
Boosters and board members started calling around, figuring out who’d chip in to pay that monster buyout. Fifty-three million dollars is a lot of money, but this is LSU. They were never going to let pride take another beating.
Behind closed doors, word is Kelly had lost the locker room. Players thought he was checked out.
He wasn’t recruiting like the other big dogs in the SEC, and he was spending more time on the golf course than in living rooms convincing mamas to let their sons play for him.
If you ask me, that’s the real work of a head coach. Building relationships, not spreadsheets.
At the end of the day, Brian Kelly got fired because he never made LSU feel like home. He tried to lead with his head in a place that runs on heart.
You can’t fake the accent, you can’t fake the culture, and you sure can’t fake belonging. LSU fans want someone who loves this program the way they do, loud, proud, and a little rough around the edges.
Kelly never got that. And in Louisiana, when the fit isn’t right, it’s only a matter of time before the door locks you out.
House of Cards?
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
LSU is 3-0, ranked 3rd in the country, and last Saturday beat Florida 20-10 in a rivalry game. On paper, things look great in Baton Rouge. But if you really watch the games, the Tigers’ start isn’t as flawless as it seems.
Brian Kelly made headlines after that Florida win for snapping at a reporter about LSU’s struggling running game. He later apologized, but honestly, you can’t blame him.
The offense has been frustrating to watch. Through three games, LSU is last in the SEC in scoring at just 20 points per game and has only five offensive touchdowns.
In a league like the SEC, if your offense isn’t clicking, even wins start to feel shaky.
The running game has been the biggest problem.
Against Florida, LSU barely managed 100 yards on the ground, and half of those yards came on one big burst from Caden Durham. Outside of that play, the Tigers were stuck in neutral.
Kelly insists LSU can run the ball and points to the last play of the game as proof. Sure, one play is nice, but relying on a single breakaway won’t get you through the tougher SEC matchups coming up.
Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has had a lot to deal with too. He’s now battling a torso injury and lingering knee issues and is limited on how much he can throw in practice.
Still, he’s completing 65 percent of his passes, but the offense hasn’t looked like the high-powered unit everyone expected with a potential first-round talent at quarterback. If Nussmeier isn’t 100 percent, the pressure on the running game only grows.
The defense, thankfully, has been carrying the team.
Even after All-American linebacker Whit Weeks was ejected for targeting in the first half, LSU forced five turnovers against Florida and played physical from start to finish. Transfer Jack Pyburn and the secondary stepped up big time.
But let’s be real: in the SEC, you can’t expect the defense to win every game. The offense has to start showing up, or the schedule is going to catch up to them fast.
Outside of on field action, there’s been some good news for the Tigers this week. LSU just landed 2027 quarterback Peyton Houston, the top-rated pocket passer in the nation for his class, and the godbrother of former LSU star Devin White.
He’s the first commit of that class and gives hope for the future at a spot where LSU has struggled to find consistency. With Nussmeier leaving after this season, Houston or another QB recruit is going to have to step up eventually.
So where does all this leave LSU? Unbeaten? Yes. Ranked in the top five? Check. But the offense looks sloppy, the quarterback isn’t fully healthy, and the run game has no rhythm.
Kelly might be right that fans can get spoiled, but when you’re running an SEC powerhouse, just winning isn’t enough. People expect domination.
The next few games will tell the story. The Tigers host Southeastern Louisiana this Saturday in what is supposed to be a tune-up, but the real test comes when LSU heads to Ole Miss on September 27.
If the Tigers struggle there, all the questions about the offense will come screaming back. If they pull off a convincing win, Kelly’s outburst and early offensive struggles might just fade into the background.
Right now, LSU is a bit of a paradox: unbeaten with a frustrated coach, a hobbled quarterback, and an offense that hasn’t hit full stride.
Wins are nice, but the cracks are already showing, and the rest of the SEC is ready to expose them if LSU doesn’t clean things up.
Geaux Tigers
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2025 LSU Tigers enter the season with both urgency and optimism.
After consecutive seasons falling short of the College Football Playoff, head coach Brian Kelly faces pressure to turn promise into postseason success. Fortunately for Tiger fans, the pieces might finally be in place.
Despite losing standout talents like left tackle Will Campbell and wide receiver Kyren Lacy, the Tigers return a battle-tested quarterback, a retooled and aggressive defense, and a mix of transfers and rising stars who are ready to bring LSU back to the national spotlight.
Senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is back for his final season and ready to prove he is more than just a bridge between Jayden Daniels and the future of the program.
In 2024, he passed for over 4,000 yards and 29 touchdowns, showing he can compete with the best in the country. However, turnovers and red zone issues hurt in key moments.
With a strong group of receivers and a deep backfield, Nussmeier has everything he needs to lead an offense that scored 24 or more points in all nine of its wins last season. In each of the four losses, they failed to reach that mark.
The offseason loss of Kyren Lacy was a tragic blow, but LSU is still loaded with playmakers at wide receiver. Aaron Anderson returns after a breakout 2024 campaign where he totaled 61 receptions for 884 yards. Transfers Nic Anderson from Oklahoma, Barion Brown from Kentucky, and Destyn Hill from Florida State bring elite speed and big-play ability.
At tight end, Trey’Dez Green and Oklahoma transfer Bauer Sharp will battle for the starting role. Sharp caught 42 passes last season and brings experience to the position.
Sophomore running back Caden Durham returns after rushing for 753 yards and 6 touchdowns. He is expected to take the lead role in a backfield that also features 235-pound power runner Kaleb Jackson.
Replacing a top five NFL Draft pick like Will Campbell at left tackle is no easy task, but Tyree Adams has the size, experience, and potential to take on the role. DJ Chester returns at center, and Braelin Moore, a transfer from Troy, is expected to fill a starting guard spot.
The offensive line ranked among the best in the SEC last season in both sack prevention and run blocking. Despite a few new faces, the expectation remains high.
LSU’s defense improved from 108th to 61st in total yards allowed last season. This year, the goal is to climb even higher and generate more turnovers.
The Tigers were undefeated in games where they recorded an interception and had a losing record when they failed to do so.
Newcomer Patrick Payton from Florida State brings 16 career sacks to the defensive edge and could make an instant impact.
Whit Weeks returns at linebacker after making 125 tackles in 2024. Harold Perkins Jr., one of the most talented defenders in the country, is recovering from an ACL injury and is expected to return to his dominant form.
In the secondary, Virginia Tech transfer Mansoor Delane, DJ Pickett, and Ashton Stamps form a deep cornerback rotation.
LSU has lost five straight season openers since the 2019 national championship season.
This year, they open at Clemson in a game that could shape the narrative for the rest of the season. They also face tough road trips to Alabama, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss, with a critical home game against Florida.
I think that in order to be a serious playoff contender, the Tigers likely need to go at least 4-1 in those five marquee games.
Brian Kelly enters his third year at LSU with a team that looks more physical and complete than in previous seasons. With a seasoned quarterback, explosive skill players, and a defense full of emerging talent, the Tigers have the tools to make a serious run at the College Football Playoff.
If LSU can avoid early stumbles and stay healthy, this could be the season Tiger fans have been waiting for.
Geaux Tigers
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In Brian Kelly’s third year as head coach, LSU aims to secure a spot in the expanded College Football Playoff.
Key to this ambition is developing a strong ground game to complement their potent passing attack and improving their defense to at least average performance levels. If these goals are met, LSU is likely to be a top-12 team when the regular season ends.
Significant changes will mark the 2024 season, starting with Garrett Nussmeier replacing Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels at quarterback, and Joe Sloan stepping in as the new play-caller.
Nussmeier, known for his pocket passing, led LSU to a victory in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Wisconsin, throwing for 395 yards. While he lacks Daniels’ rushing ability, Nussmeier’s passing skills are promising.
LSU’s offense faces the challenge of establishing a solid running game, relying on Kaleb Jackson and Josh Williams.
Head coach Kelly expects wide receiver Kyren Lacy, who learned under a pair of 2024 NFL first round draft picks in Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas, to have a breakout season.
Other key receivers include Chris Hilton Jr., Aaron Anderson, and transfers CJ Daniels and Zavion Thomas. Tight end Mason Taylor, son of NFL legend Jason Taylor, is expected to play a significant role in the short passing game.
The offensive line, considered the team’s strength, is anchored by juniors Will Campbell and Emery Jones Jr. at the tackle positions. Redshirt freshman DJ Chester is taking over as center.
Defensively, LSU struggled last season, leading to the dismissal of coordinator Matt House and his assistants.
Blake Baker, formerly of Missouri, is now in charge of improving the defense, which allowed 416.6 yards and 28 points per game in 2023.
Key players include linebacker Harold Perkins Jr., who returns to inside linebacker despite previous struggles, and Greg Penn III, who recorded 89 tackles last season.
The defensive line’s performance, led by Jacobian Guillory and Sai’vion Jones, will be crucial, and the secondary, led by Major Burns, brings experience.
Special teams see the return of kicker Damian Ramos, who led the FBS in extra points made and attempted, and newcomer punter Peyton Todd. Kelly places significant emphasis on the return game, with Zavion Thomas expected to handle most duties.
Despite losing top players like Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers, and Brian Thomas Jr. to the NFL, LSU’s offense will remain strong, supported by an elite offensive line and a transfer portal reinforced receiving corps. The primary concern on defense will be the secondary.
Improvement in this area is critical for LSU’s chances to make the 12-team playoff.
In terms of roster changes, notable additions from the transfer portal include wide receivers CJ Daniels (Liberty) and Zavion Thomas (Mississippi State), and safety Jardin Gilbert (Texas A&M). Losses include running back Logan Diggs (Ole Miss), offensive tackle Lance Heard (Tennessee), and cornerback Denver Harris (UTSA).
LSU is ranked No. 12 in USA Today’s first Coaches Poll for the 2024 season. The Tigers’ first game is against the University of Southern California, ranked No. 23, on September 1st in Las Vegas.
Here’s LSU’s full schedule for the 2024 season:
Sept. 1: USC (neutral-site game in Las Vegas)
Sept. 7: Nicholls State
Sept. 14: at South Carolina
Sept. 21: UCLA
Sept. 28: South Alabama
Oct. 12: Ole Miss
Oct. 19: at Arkansas
Oct. 26: at Texas A&M
Nov. 9: Alabama
Nov. 16: at Florida
Nov. 23: Vanderbilt
Nov. 30: Oklahoma
Geaux Tigers
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news service
The phrase “Geaux Tigers” has been said, written, texted and tweeted many times by LSU fans since the 10-4 SEC Western Division Championship season for Brian Kelly in year one in Baton Rouge, and that doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon.
With so many questions around the Tigers going into the 2022 season after the hire of Brian Kelly from Notre Dame, the Tigers answered in a big-time way with 10 wins, an appearance in the SEC Championship, and a victory against rival #6 Alabama thanks to a 2-point conversion in overtime.
That play call and poise from Brian Kelly answered many of those questions surrounding the Tigers and won Tiger fans over for Kelly.
Last season started in a historic way for LSU with it being just the 2nd time since the 1950s that the Tigers had both a new head coach and a new starting quarterback.
Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels took the reins of the offense and absolutely gutted thru the 2022 season for LSU. Battling thru a few different injuries thru the year (missing the second half of the SEC Championship game with a leg injury), Daniels had a quietly historic season for the Tigers.
The first-year signal-caller racked up the 2nd most total yards from an LSU quarterback (only behind Joe Burrow in the National Championship season), as well as setting the record for most rushing yards ever by an LSU QB.
2023 sees 8 starters return for the LSU offense including Daniels, for a team that averaged 34.5 points per game and over 450 yards per game. A big piece that gets overlooked for the Tigers is the O-Line.
Last season had a few growing pains with a lot of young faces on the line (including Will Campbell and Emery Jones to be the first time a freshman had started at both LT and RT in the same game in LSU History). This season, the O-Line returns 4 starters and looks to be a strength for OC Mike Denbrock.
The defense was nasty at times for the Tigers a year ago and looks to be more of the same in 2023, just maybe in a different way.
The D-Line for 2nd year Matt House will look a little different in 2023 after the departures of BJ Ojulari and Ali Gaye. However, House has restocked with five Power 5 transfers to go along with returners Mekhi Wingo and Maason Smith who missed the majority of 2022 with an injury in the season opener against Florida State.
The back seven for the LSU Defense returns many bright spots from 2022, with one of the main ones being rising sophomore Harold Perkins. Perkins burst onto the SEC scene last year garnering all-American honors at linebacker.
A big game for the Tigers kicks off the season with a rematch against the Seminoles of Florida State in Jacksonville.
Last year in the Super Dome, Florida State came away with a 24-23 win over Brian Kelly in his LSU debut.
The schedule is relatively favorable for the Bayou Bengals getting Texas A&M, Florida, Auburn and Arkansas all at Tiger Stadium.
The biggest test of the season, as is in most years, will be the November 4th matchup at Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Most believe that the meeting in Tuscaloosa will be a huge decider in the Western Division race again this year.
I was incredibly impressed with LSU and how they rallied around Brian Kelly in year one.
The Tigers look to be ahead of schedule from where most thought LSU would be at this point in the Kelly era, and will not only threaten for back-to-back West Division crowns, but will rival Georgia for the SEC Title in Atlanta.
