LSU remains in the spotlight this offseason amid Lane Kiffin’s arrival as the new leader. While many are already high on the Tigers due to Kiffin’s track record of success at Ole Miss, not everyone is sold on his potential at Baton Rouge.
Why SEC Analyst Michael Bratton Questions LSU’s Hype Under Lane Kiffin
Michael Bratton, also known as SEC Mike, joined the “3 Man Front” crew this week to discuss his post-spring SEC football power rankings, where he raised concerns about Kiffin’s LSU in 2026.
“Portal King guys all over Twitter and he’s doing all these tweets,” Bratton said.
“You know how he lives rent-free in everybody’s head. That’s fantastic. But I don’t know how locked in this guy is. And just because you were able to do that year after year after year at Ole Miss, and I mean, you know, utilize the portal. They had a foundation set. They had a program set, and it didn’t start right away either.”
“So to just walk into Baton Rouge with a pretty difficult schedule the first month and the last month is extremely difficult as well. I just don’t think LSU is going to navigate that. And again, if you ask me how good they are today, they’re probably significantly worse than what they will be by the time even the season gets here, but late in the season, that maybe it starts to come around.”
The Tigers’ 2026 schedule opens with a brutal stretch, including a matchup against Clemson on Sept. 5, followed by Kiffin’s return to Oxford to face Ole Miss on Sept. 19, and then a clash with Texas A&M the following week. Meanwhile, LSU also faces a daunting November slate against Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, and Arkansas.
The new LSU offense is almost entirely rebuilt via the portal, including quarterback Sam Leavitt, offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, and wide receiver Eugene Wilson III. Leavitt’s limited participation during spring camp due to injury has also added uncertainty as the unit tries to build chemistry.
LSU returns high-end defensive talent such as five-star cornerback DJ Pickett, but the overall group remains young and is largely composed of newcomers still adjusting to the system. Bratton said that this lack of continuity could be a major issue.
“They better be good on defense immediately because I don’t think you can just come in there with a quarterback that hasn’t even really participated in spring much, new offensive line, completely new receivers, and just come in here and just be gang busters on offense,” Bratton said. “I don’t care what you think of Lane Kiffin or Charlie Weis Jr., who are good coaches, but the players matter more than the coaches in my opinion. I think it’s going to be a little bit of a struggle the first month on offense. So, I think LSU is just more hype than substance at this point.”
PFSN is still high on Kiffin’s debut season, giving LSU a 39.2% chance of securing the College Football Playoff in 2026.
Get a clue, before you give your opinions.