Lane Kiffin arrives at LSU, and the expectations are going to be sky high after the Tigers went all-in to land the Ole Miss head coach. The Tigers went all-in building this roster as they signed a loaded recruiting class that Brian Kelly's staff assembled while there was no expenses spared giving Lane Kiffin the Nation's top ranked transfer class.
The biggest piece for Lane Kiffin now is getting all of these talented players to gel together as this is a brand new roster. Aside from getting the team to gel, the biggest concern for any program in the offseason is trying everything to make sure that injuries don't hurt the team.
LSU loses edge rusher Gabriel Reliford to torn ACL
On Saturday, the LSU defense suffered a blow as it was reported that edge rusher Gabriel Reliford suffered a torn ACL at LSU's spring practice.
NEW: LSU EDGE Gabe Reliford suffered a torn ACL during spring practice this week, multiple sources confirm.
— Matt Moscona (@MattMoscona) March 28, 2026
He was absent from Saturday’s workout.
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The injury reportedly occured during LSU's practice on Thursday as Reliford wasn't seen with the Tigers on Saturday. The injury will likely cost Gabriel Reliford his entire season given the timetable for recovery from a torn ACL. The news is especially heartbreaking for Gabriel Reliford given the fact that he was only able to play in 4 games this past season as he suffered a season ending shoulder injury.
In 2025, Gabe Reliford recorded 8 tackles for the Tigers before his season ending injury. As a True Freshman, Reliford was a bright spot for the Tigers appearing in 13 games with 10 tackles and a half sack in a limited role.
The LSU Tigers have a ton of moving pieces in the edge rush room as Patrick Payton, Jack Pyburn, and Jimari Butler all leave for the NFL. Transfer Princewill Umanmielen and Jordan Ross are going to be tasked with playing an even bigger role for the Tigers with the depth taking a major hit with this injury.