LSU Football: 2026 Tigers Season Preview and Prediction
No question new LSU coach Lane Kiffin has a great staff, which has assembled a great roster. But to be a playoff team for the first time since 2019, the Tigers must be more than a collection of talent. "It takes a ton of work to get a program back to where everyone here wants it to be," Kiffin says. With so many newcomers, not even Kiffin knows whether all that work will pay off. The health of Arizona State transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt is also a key x-factor after foot surgery and limited work in the spring.
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LSU Football: 2026 Tigers Season Preview and Prediction
Previewing LSU's Offense for 2026
Head coach Lane Kiffin's abrupt departure from Ole Miss for LSU on the cusp of the College Football Playoff was nationwide media fodder last fall. For LSU to be the talk of college football this season, Kiffin must take a team with 59 newcomers (including 43 transfers) and mold it into a cohesive unit. It starts with quarterback Sam Leavitt, who spent much of the offseason recovering from November foot surgery while at Arizona State. Leavitt has amassed more than 5,400 total yards and 46 total touchdowns in 24 games combined at ASU and Michigan State.
Leavitt will have a bevy of unfamiliar receivers to throw to, led by Florida's Eugene Wilson III (61 catches, 538 yards, six TDs in 2023), with the top left tackle in the portal, Jordan Seaton from Colorado, protecting his blind side. LSU has a slew of new running backs, too, but persuading Harlem Berry and Caden Durham to return was a major coup.
The X-factor could be returning tight end Trey'Dez Green (33 catches, 433 yards, seven TDs in 2025). One could see the wheels in Kiffin's head turning during the offseason as he dreamed up mismatches for the 6-foot-7 Green to exploit.
Related: SEC Football Predictions for 2026
Previewing LSU's Defense for 2026
Kiffin got players like top-rated portal edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen (tied for third in the SEC with 9.0 sacks) and linebacker TJ Dottery (SEC-best 98 tackles) to follow him from Ole Miss, and safety Ty Benefield from Boise State (107 tackles) should be an instant starter.
But the story of LSU's defense is retention. Returning are linebacker Whit Weeks - though he was slowly recovering from a broken ankle suffered against Ole Miss - and cornerback DJ Pickett, the heir apparent to departed All-American Mansoor Delane. Another key returnee is defensive coordinator Blake Baker. The continuity on that side of the ball will be critical to the Tigers' hopes as Kiffin remakes the offense.
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Previewing LSU's Specialists for 2026
Grant Chadwick returns as LSU's punter after ranking second in the SEC in 2025 with a 45.7-yard average. Scott Starzyk from Arkansas is expected to slide into the placekicking role vacated by Damian Ramos, who graduated with numerous LSU records. Starzyk was a Freshman All-SEC pick last season, making 14-of-18 field goals and all 47 of his extra points.
National Ranking: 10
SEC Prediction: 5
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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 9:15 AM.