LSU football is in a weird spot. If you’re looking at the ranking of LSU football right now, you might see "unranked" and feel a pit in your stomach. It’s January 2026. The 2025 season just wrapped up with a thud in the Texas Bowl, and for the first time in a while, the Tigers aren't the darlings of the AP Poll or the CFP rankings.
Honestly, it’s been a rollercoaster.
We started the 2025 season ranked No. 9. People were hyped. Garrett Nussmeier was the guy, Brian Kelly was in year four, and we even climbed as high as No. 3 after beating Clemson in the opener. But things fell apart. Fast. Now, we're looking at a 7-6 record and a program that just fired one of the winningest coaches in college football history.
The current ranking of LSU football and what happened
Right now, the Tigers are sitting outside the Top 25. Most major polls, including the AP and the Coaches Poll, dropped LSU after a brutal late-season slide where the team lost five of its last seven games. It's the kind of season that makes you want to throw your remote through the TV.
The defense actually showed up, which is the irony of the whole thing. Under Blake Baker, the unit was actually top-tier, ranking 16th nationally in scoring defense by allowing only 18.5 points per game. Mansoor Delane was a literal island at cornerback. He only allowed 13 catches all year. Seriously.
🔗 Read more: NFL Week 5 2025 Point Spreads: What Most People Get Wrong
But the offense? It cratered.
After Nussmeier got hurt and Jayden Daniels took his Heisman magic to the NFL, the scoring plummeted to 22.8 points per game. That's the worst we've seen in Baton Rouge since 2009. You can't win in the SEC when you’re ranked 117th in total points. That’s just math.
Why Brian Kelly is out and Lane Kiffin is in
The biggest factor affecting the ranking of LSU football moving forward is the massive leadership change. On October 26, 2025, LSU fired Brian Kelly. He finished his tenure at 34-14, which sounds okay on paper, but in Death Valley, "okay" gets you a moving truck.
The administration didn't wait around. They went out and grabbed Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss. It’s a gamble, sure, but it’s the kind of high-stakes move LSU loves.
💡 You might also like: Bethany Hamilton and the Shark: What Really Happened That Morning
- Lane Kiffin's Impact: Kiffin brings a modern, high-octane offensive philosophy that should theoretically fix the scoring drought.
- Recruiting Momentum: Despite the 7-6 season, LSU is still pulling in "dudes." The 2026 recruiting class is currently hovering around No. 11 or No. 13 nationally, depending on which site you trust.
- The Lamar Brown Factor: We’ve got the No. 1 ranked defensive tackle in the country, Lamar Brown, staying home. Keeping Louisiana talent in the 225 is how you fix a ranking.
Where LSU football ranks in the 2026 outlook
If you're looking for a silver lining, it’s the future. The ranking of LSU football in the "way-early" 2026 previews is basically a guessing game. Some analysts have the Tigers as a dark horse because of the Kiffin hire, while others are waiting to see if the offense can actually find a quarterback.
Michael Van Buren Jr. showed flashes of brilliance in late 2025, throwing for over 1,000 yards in limited action. If Kiffin can develop him like he did with Jaxson Dart or Matt Corral, that unranked status won't last long.
The SEC is getting harder, though. With Texas and Oklahoma fully integrated and teams like Vanderbilt actually winning games (they beat us 31-24 in October, which still hurts to type), there are no "gimme" weeks anymore. LSU finished 10th in the SEC standings last year. That’s a long way from the top.
Turning the page to 2026
The path back to a Top 10 ranking of LSU football is pretty clear, even if it isn't easy. It starts with the transfer portal. Lane Kiffin is the "Portal King" for a reason. Expect a massive influx of talent this spring to plug the holes in the offensive line and receiving corps.
📖 Related: Simona Halep and the Reality of Tennis Player Breast Reduction
We also have to talk about the schedule. Playing in the SEC means your "Strength of Schedule" is always high, which helps the computer rankings like SP+ and FPI even when the win-loss record is mediocre. If LSU can win 9 or 10 games in 2026, they'll be right back in the playoff conversation.
For now, we have to sit with a 7-6 reality. It’s not fun, and it’s certainly not what we expected when we were No. 3 in the world back in September. But that’s the beauty—and the absolute misery—of college football in the Bayou.
If you want to track how the roster is shaking out for the spring, keep a close eye on the early enrollee list. The arrival of five-star recruits like Richard Anderson and the development of young backs like Harlem Berry will dictate whether the 2026 preseason ranking starts with a number or just a "Receiving Votes" tag. Focus on the spring game in April; that's when we'll see if the Kiffin era is actually going to be as fast-paced as promised.
Next Steps for Fans:
Check the official LSU Sports scholarship numbers to see how many portal spots Kiffin has left to fill. Then, keep an eye on the 2026 commitments as the February signing period approaches to see if any local stars flip their pledges.