LSU Tigers 2026 College Football Preview
Posted August 8, 2026
2025 Recap
Record – 7-6
ATS – 4-9
“I know I’m weird, and I can feel myself getting weirder, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it….”
— Callum, Dog Park (1998)
Things started with a bang last season as LSU took down mighty Clemson in its own building to open the year, using that momentum to roar out to a 4-0 start. Things got really ugly in the middle of the campaign as the Tigers dropped four out of five games and drifted dangerously close to a full implosion. They picked up their socks to win two straight down the stretch before giving Houston a tough battle in a three-point Texas Bowl loss.
New head coach Lane Kiffin comes to town, and while we’ve been LANE TRAIN fans for a long time, there’s no doubt that things seem to get weirder and weirder with this guy. Tarmac firings, social media trolling, fake dog conspiracies, alternate personas named “Joey Freshwater,” Popcorngate — and then, of course, leaving a playoff-bound Ole Miss team he had turned into a juggernaut right before the postseason began.
We have faith in Lane’s coaching chops, but what can we expect in 2026?
LSU Tigers 2026 Outlook
OFFENSE
2025 By The Numbers (SEC):
- Scoring: 22.8 PPG (#14)
- Total Offense: 333.5 YPG (#16)
- Rushing: 104.0 YPG (#16)
- Passing: 229.5 YPG (#10)
- Sacks Allowed: 29 (#9)
What a disgusting mess that was last year. Thankfully, there’s no need to harp on that as the Tigers have kept a few key pieces from that offensive unit and supplemented it with tons of talent thanks to the PORTAL KING himself, Lane Kiffin.
It all starts at quarterback, where former Arizona St star Sam Leavitt gets the call to hopefully lead the Tigers to better things. Leavitt is an excellent dual-threat specimen (career 36-11 TD to INT, 10 rush TDs) who led the Sun Devils to the CFP in 2024, but he missed a good chunk of last year due to injury. Your cousin Shecky could probably throw for 2,600 yards and 21 TDs if coached by Lane Kiffin, so we expect very good things from Leavitt if he can stay healthy.
The Tigers get their 1-2 combo back at RB in Harlem Berry and Caden Durham, and there’s no doubt they were seriously hampered by poor offensive line play in 2025. There are capable bodies behind this duo, so expect a heavy rotation throughout the season. Is there a legit #1 dude? We’ll have to wait and see. TE Trey’Dez Green has the potential to be one of the best in the nation this season (433, 13.1, 7 TD) and he’ll be supplemented by some excellent transfer portal specimens, including wide receivers Jackson Harris (963, 19.7, 12 TD; Hawaii) and Jayce Brown (712, 17.4, 5 TD; Kansas St).
The offensive line was a major disappointment last year and it’s hard to know what to expect this season, but it’s worth noting that there are lots of new faces in the group — including star LT Jordan Seaton (Colorado). Things have to get better. Right?
DEFENSE
2025 By The Numbers (SEC):
- Scoring: 19.8 PPG (#5)
- Total Defense: 328.7 YPG (#6)
- Rushing Defense: 124.1 YPG (#7)
- Passing Defense: 204.6 YPG (#6)
- Sacks: 27 (#10)
The defense held up well last season, although they didn’t achieve enough PENETRATION to be considered a top-notch SEC stop unit.
There’s a brand-new starting group up front, headlined by former Ole Miss edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen (9 sacks) to juice up the pass rush. Auburn transfer Malik Blocton gives them a physical anchor at DT, while 5-Star freshman Lamar Brown possesses way too much talent to stay off the field for long.
The LB corps is one of the best in the SEC, boasting OODLES of talent including 2024 All-American Whit Weeks, leading tackler Davhon Keys, and Ole Miss transfer TJ Dottery, who tallied over 170 (!) tackles over the last two years with the Rebels. The secondary needs a makeover after losing a pair of players to the NFL, but they’ve still got some talented dudes on board including stellar free safety Ty Benefield (107 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 2 INT; Boise St) and the CB duo of PJ Woodland and freakishly long DJ Pickett (6-4, 189).
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Tigers boast an above-average kicking tandem in punter Grant Chadwick (45.7) and PK Scott Starzyk (14/18 FG at Arkansas), but replacing both primary returners — including elite KR Barion Brown (29.7, TD) — won’t be easy.
Schedule Analysis
Overall – The Tigers open with a WHOPPER as they host Clemson, who’ll be looking to avenge last year’s defeat, but their other two non-conference games are automatic wins. The SEC schedule is fair, but they’d better be ready right out of the gate as they face Ole Miss (A) and Texas A&M before the calendar turns to October. They host a pair of top-tier SEC squads in Texas and Alabama in November, but at least they get to face three projected bottom-feeders in Kentucky, Mississippi St, and Arkansas.
Potential ATS Trouble Spot – at OIe Miss (Sept 19)
It’s one of the most highly anticipated games of the CENTURY as Lane Kiffin returns to face his old team in Oxford. Ole Miss will be looking to dish out revenge of the highest order, and they’ve got the roster to do it. What a great time to be alive!
Season Win Total
Market consensus – August 8
Over 8.5 -115
Under 8.5 -115
MEGALOCKS says:
No leanage.
We’ve got them pegged at 8-4 or 9-3. The case to play over holds water, but there are too many new faces on the roster for us to take a stab. For those extremely bullish on their chances, there’s probably better value in the futures market.
Note – Our official list of season win total investments will be posted in the blog section of the website.
MEGAmazing Tidbits
LSU’s pregame tradition of blasting Garth Brooks’ “Callin’ Baton Rouge” isn’t just loud — it’s seismic. When Garth himself performed the track live in Death Valley in 2022, the 102,000-person sing-along shook Tiger Stadium so hard it registered as a small earthquake on LSU’s on-campus seismograph. It’s official: Death Valley makes the ground move, yo.
The Tigers are a monster in Baton Rouge (54-12), but merely mortal on the road (25–20).
MEGALOCKS Forecast:
LSU has been sliding the last few years, stacking 10, 10, 9, and then just seven wins in 2025 — but now the Tigers hand the keys to the man, the myth, the legend: Lane Kiffin. The roster has plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, but the question is simple: can this group gel into a legit SEC force and compete for a conference title? We’ll say this much — if they march into the LION’S DEN and take down Ole Miss early in the season, it’s clearly GAME ON in Baton Rouge. The ceiling is real, the swagger is back, and the Bayou is ready to rumble.
GEAUX TIGERS!