When LSU fired Brian Kelly, the fanbase hoped that they could finally get back to winning, but especially to a point where they had that swagger that all their great teams had. Hiring Lane Kiffin was a sign that the Tigers were going to do just that, given his personality, he is and how much they invested in hiring him.
During his time at Ole Miss, Lane Kiffin was given the title of the Transfer Portal King, building impressive classes year after year. Arriving at LSU, Lane Kiffin needed to send a statement with his first class, and if he put the finishing touch on his class Friday Night, it was the greatest statement possible.
Before Lane Kiffin landed the likes of Jordan Seaton and Princewill Umanmielen, this was a roster that ranked 7th in our Way Too Early Top 25 Rankings. After the additions, this is a group that's clearly one of the best rosters in the sport.
Lane Kiffin's historic transfer class makes LSU a Championship contender
On Friday Night, Lane Kiffin tweeted out to LSU fans hoping that they enjoyed the finale after landing Jordan Seaton.
Said SpotThe Ball on 1/2/26 it would be the best ever in history. Hope you enjoyed the the grand finale @LSUfootball ♟️ pic.twitter.com/6G9a9ofr8K
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) January 24, 2026
If Lane Kiffin is truly done making additions in the Transfer Portal, it's an incredible haul that shows why you leave a job as great as Ole Miss. On3's Transfer Portal Rankings rank LSU's transfer class 4th in the Country while accounting for transfer losses, while 24/7 Sports, which only accounts for additions, ranks LSU's class 1st.
The biggest addition of Lane Kiffin's 40 new players is far and away Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt who ranks as the top transfer regardless of position according to On3 and 24/7 Sports. Leavitt led Arizona State to the College Football Playoff in 2024, and if not for his injury this season, the Sun Devils could've made it back.
Sam Leavitt will excel in Lane Kiffin's offense with an ability to use his legs along with his downfield passing ability. The good news for Sam Leavitt is that while he won't have Jordyn Tyson to throw to, this team is loaded with stars all around him.
Lane Kiffin's final additions may have been the best piece LSU could've asked for, landing Colorado offensive tackle Jordan Seaton. At Colorado, Jordan Seaton gave up just 2 sacks last season, making him the piece LSU needed the most after the offensive line was a disaster in 2025.
The rest of the offensive line needed an overhaul, and the Tigers made significant additions at every position. Devin Harper transfers back to his home state and enters the season as LSU's projected starting right tackle. Darrin Strey, William Satterwhite, and Sean Thompkins all join with Power 4 experience along with some Group of 5 additions.
The wide receiver room that Lane Kiffin has put together is going to be incredibly fun to watch as he added 10 new weapons. Kansas State's Jayce Brown, Florida's Eugene Wilson III, and Ole Miss' Winston Watkins are the biggest names, but Kiffin has found the most success finding under the radar players like Jackson Harris, Tyree Holloway, and Josh Jackson who he added in this class.
The running back room didn't need a ton of help with Harlem Berry and Caden Durham back for 2026, but Kiffin and Company added regardless. Dilin Jones is the highlight of the running back additions as a back with a ton of talent who was slated to start for Wisconsin this season, but missed most of the year with injury.
The defensive line is where the defense needed an infusion of talent, and the Tigers couldn't have done much of a better job. The Tigers landed former Ole Miss edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen after his 9 sack season as one of the Top 5 players in this transfer class. Rushing opposite Umanmielen will be former 5-star recruit and Tennessee Volunteer Jordan Ross forming an exciting duo.
Given how much LSU returns at linebacker, running it back with Whit Weeks and Davhon Keys would've been perfectly fine. Instead, the Tigers landed TJ Dottery the SEC's leading tackler to form arguably the best linebacker unit in the Country.
LSU's secondary brings back DJ Pickett, PJ Woodland, Tamarcus Cooley, and some other experienced pieces, meaning much wasn't needed. Boise State's Ty Benefield will come in and give the Tigers a solid player at the star position, making this a very well-rounded group.
Lane Kiffin inherited a mess of a roster with holes all over the team that needed to be filled. As this transfer class now appears to be complete, it's hard to find any real weaknesses with this team. The Tigers have flipped the roster in one offseason, and now this looks like a team capable of winning a National Championship, if everyone can gel together perfectly.