Honestly, walking into Death Valley this January feels different. Usually, by now, we’re dissecting a bowl loss or arguing about which junior is bolting for the NFL. But the 2026 calendar flipped with a literal earthquake in Baton Rouge. Lane Kiffin is the head coach. I still have to say it out loud to believe it.
The LSU football depth chart 2025 was a rollercoaster that ended in a complete demolition of the status quo. Brian Kelly is out, Kiffin is in, and the roster? It’s basically a high-speed chemistry experiment. If you’re looking at the 2025 season that just wrapped up and trying to figure out who starts in 2026, you've gotta realize that Kiffin didn't just tweak the depth chart—he set it on fire and started over.
The Quarterback Room: From Empty to Loaded in 96 Hours
LSU started this offseason with exactly zero scholarship quarterbacks. Read that again. Garrett Nussmeier’s eligibility is done. Michael Van Buren and Colin Hurley? They both hit the portal as soon as the coaching change went live. It was looking grim until Kiffin did what he does best: he went shopping.
The "Kiffin Effect" landed Sam Leavitt from Arizona State. He’s the projected QB1 and arguably the most polished signal-caller to hit the portal this cycle. He’s coming off a Big 12 title run and isn't coming here to sit.
But then, just hours ago, Kiffin pulled the ultimate "hold my drink" move. He signed Husan Longstreet from USC. Longstreet was a five-star recruit in the 2025 high school class. He’s got family roots in Louisiana and a cannon for an arm.
Then there’s Landen Clark, the transfer from Elon. He’s the sleeper. He threw for over 2,300 yards and ran for 11 scores last year. It’s not a "safe" room; it’s a competitive furnace.
The Running Back Rotation: Harlem Berry and the New Blood
The 2025 season saw Caden Durham carry the load, but he’s gone to the portal. Most people thought the cupboard was bare. It’s not.
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Harlem Berry is the name you need to know. He was the No. 1 RB in the country for the 2025 class and he’s the only one who didn't flinch when the coaching staff changed. He’s explosive—the kind of back who turns a 2-yard dive into a 60-yard highlight.
To help him out, LSU brought in:
- Raycine Guillory: A transfer from Utah with four years of eligibility. He’s a "fresh legs" guy from Aledo, Texas.
- Bill Davis: The former UL-Lafayette star who put up 767 yards last year. He’s the "thunder" to Berry’s "lightning."
It’s a young room, sure. But Kiffin’s offenses have always been better when they have a home-run threat in the backfield. Berry is that threat.
Receivers and the "Legion of Zoom"
The LSU football depth chart 2025 wide receiver room was basically a revolving door of talent. With Kiffin’s OC, Charlie Weis Jr., coming over from Ole Miss, expect the tempo to go from "fast" to "blur."
Kiffin didn't just bring coaches; he brought weapons. Winston Watkins (the Ole Miss transfer) is basically a human joystick. Then you have Jayce Brown from Kansas State and Eugene Wilson III from Florida.
And don't sleep on the "old" guys. Trey’Dez Green is returning for his junior year. At 6-foot-7, he’s a matchup nightmare that Brian Kelly never quite figured out how to use consistently. Kiffin will. He loves big targets in the red zone.
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- WR1: Barion Brown (Senior / Kentucky Transfer)
- WR2: Eugene Wilson III (Junior / Florida Transfer)
- Slot: Winston Watkins (Sophomore / Ole Miss Transfer)
- TE: Trey'Dez Green (Junior)
The Defensive Identity: Corey Raymond’s "No-Fly Zone"
If there’s one thing LSU fans can agree on, it’s that the secondary has been a mess for years. Kiffin made a genius move by retaining Corey Raymond. He also kept Blake Baker as DC. Continuity on defense is the only thing keeping this team from being a total "Wild West" show.
The 2025 depth chart was anchored by PJ Woodland and five-star freshman DJ Pickett. Pickett lived up to the hype, snagging three picks in his debut season.
The 2026 secondary looks like this:
- Cornerback: DJ Pickett (Sophomore) – Already an All-SEC candidate.
- Cornerback: Mansoor Delane (Senior / Virginia Tech Transfer) – 29 career starts.
- Safety: Dashawn Spears (Sophomore) – A rangy ball-hawk.
- Safety: A.J. Haulcy (Senior / Houston Transfer) – A tackling machine with 259 career stops.
The Trenches: A Massive Project
This is where the concern lies. The offensive line was... well, it was bad in 2025. They allowed 17 sacks and over 100 pressures. Will Campbell and Emery Jones are gone to the NFL.
Kiffin hired Eric Wolford from Kentucky to fix it. They’ve added JaKolby Jones and Bryant Williams (a 11-game starter at LT for UL) to provide some veteran stability. But let's be real: this unit is the "X-factor." If they can’t protect Leavitt or Longstreet, it doesn't matter how fast the receivers are.
On the defensive side, keeping Dominick McKinley was huge. He’s 300+ pounds of problem for SEC centers. Pair him with Florida State transfer Patrick Payton (16 career sacks), and the pass rush should actually exist this year.
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Why 2025 Was Just a Prelude
People look at the LSU football depth chart 2025 and see a team that struggled to find its identity. They weren't quite a "power" team under Kelly, and they weren't quite "explosive" enough to outgun the top tier of the SEC.
Kiffin is changing the math. He’s leaning into the portal more than any coach in LSU history, bringing in 25 transfers in a single window. It's a "win-now" roster. There is no five-year plan here. The goal is to make the 12-team playoff in 2026, period.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're following this team, keep your eyes on these three specific developments:
- The Spring QB Duel: Don't assume Leavitt has it locked up. Kiffin didn't bring Longstreet in to redshirt him if he's clearly the better talent. The Spring Game in April will be the most-watched in a decade.
- The Offensive Line Combinations: Watch for Carius Curne (a 5-star recruit) to potentially start at guard as a true freshman. The staff is looking for the "nastiest" five, not necessarily the most experienced.
- Special Teams Explosiveness: With Barion Brown (5 career kickoff return TDs) and Zavion Thomas back there, LSU might actually score on special teams for the first time in what feels like forever.
The transition from the 2025 roster to the 2026 depth chart is the most radical shift in LSU's modern history. It's high-risk, high-reward. But for a fan base that’s tired of "moral victories" and "building years," Lane Kiffin’s brand of chaos might be exactly what the doctor ordered.
Check the final spring roster once the April portal window closes; that's when we'll know if this "all-in" bet on the portal actually has the legs to carry them through a brutal SEC schedule.