Head Coach Hot Seat: Where Does LSU Football's Brian Kelly Sit in the CBS Rankings?

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers are less than eight weeks away from taking the field at Clemson for the season opener on Aug. 30.

After a subpar 8-4 season in Baton Rouge last fall, all eyes are on the Bayou Bengals looking to make a statement heading into the upcoming year.

With the return of the starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier alongside multiple weapons offensively, the Tigers are confident in the product they can put on the field this season.

For Nussmeier, he will look to develop this offseason after piecing together a 2024 campaign where he totaled 3,738 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 12 games played.

Offensive coordinator Joe Sloan has been pleased with what he's seen from his veteran signal-caller after dissecting the growth he's made.

"This offseason, he's been able to be a little bit different because now he's going back and when he's studying, he's not just studying his practice tape or maybe our tape and what could happen. He's looking at specifically some stuff that he needs to improve on," LSU offensive coordinator Joe Sloan said during Spring Camp.

"He's been really intentional. I think really some of our staff did a great job of breaking some different things down for him so he could really see some individual things and he could take back control of those situations."

But Kelly is entering a critical season in his coaching tenure with the LSU Tigers after being unable to reach the College Football Playoff during his first three seasons.

The staff in Baton Rouge has reconstructed the roster this offseason with the No. 1 Transfer Portal Class making its way to campus.

Now, it's about making a statement with Kelly entering the "hot seat" conversation, according to CBS Sports.

Across the past few seasons, Kelly has been at the bottom in the "safe and secure" or "all good…for now" category, according to CBS Sports.

But entering his fourth season with the Tigers, Kelly has a need to get over the hump, according to 247Sports.

He enters the season with a 3.33 rating, which has him firmly in the "pressure is mounting" category of the hot seat measurements.

Kelly and the LSU Tigers will open the 2025 season at Clemson on Aug. 30 with all eyes on the highly-anticipated Week 1 clash on the road.

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