Lane Kiffin Can Finally Find Out How Deep This LSU Roster Really Is

LSU showed what its starters could do against Texas A&M.

Saturday can help Lane Kiffin determine how much help they have.

The Tigers enter their matchup with McNeese State coming off a 35–6 victory that restored momentum after the loss at Ole Miss. But with injuries accumulating and seven SEC games remaining, LSU has another question to answer: How many players can it trust when the conference schedule resumes?

A True Test

That makes Saturday’s value extend beyond resting starters or getting younger players onto the field.

Kiffin needs to learn which substitutions LSU can make without losing the ability to run its offense or execute its defensive assignments. A comfortable win could create those opportunities. What the Tigers do with them will matter well beyond McNeese.

“It feels like we played a whole season already,” Kiffin said this week. “And we have seven SEC games to go.”

The injury situation gives that evaluation urgency. Whit Weeks, Trey’Dez Green and Dashawn Spears are among LSU’s unavailable players, while Sam Leavitt’s status remains uncertain after his hamstring injury against Texas A&M. Each absence puts pressure on a different part of the roster.

Replacing Weeks, for example, involves more than finding someone to make tackles.

Replacing Weeks

LSU needs its linebackers to communicate, handle motion and maintain their responsibilities when an offense changes the picture before the snap. Saturday can provide evidence of whether those details hold up across multiple possessions.

Davhon Keys and Tylen Singleton give LSU experienced options alongside TJ Dottery. The secondary has already required adjustments, with Ty Benefield moving into the STAR role following Spears’ injury and Jhase Thomas taking on more work at safety.

Those changes show why depth has to be evaluated across the entire defense. Moving one player can solve an immediate problem while creating another position that needs reinforcement.

The useful question for Saturday is whether LSU’s combinations remain sound. Can the defense substitute, align correctly, and tackle consistently? Can it maintain coverage responsibilities without depending on its most experienced players to fix mistakes?

Those answers would give Blake Baker a clearer picture of the rotations he can use in SEC play down the stretch.

The same principle applies offensively.

Against Texas A&M, LSU’s offensive line allowed no sacks, helping Leavitt produce his best passing performance of the season despite his limited mobility. Saturday offers a chance to evaluate whether protection remains dependable when personnel changes.

A reserve lineman’s most useful contribution might be recognizing pressure and passing off a defender correctly. A running back’s might be picking up a blitz. Neither guarantees a highlight, but both can determine whether Kiffin trusts that player in a close conference game.

Green’s absence also makes the evaluation broader than receiving production.

LSU’s remaining tight ends combined for no catches against Texas A&M, while Jackson Harris delivered 163 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The Tigers found production elsewhere, but Saturday can help establish what their available tight ends contribute as blockers and receiving options.

If Landen Clark receives extended work, the evaluation should go beyond his ability to create plays with his legs. He has already scored twice on the ground against Texas A&M. Sustaining drives would give LSU more information about its options behind Leavitt.

There are limits to what McNeese can reveal. Success against an FCS opponent will not establish that every reserve is ready for SEC competition.

But repeated assignment errors, protection breakdowns, or stalled possessions would still identify problems LSU needs to address.

The most revealing snaps could come when reserves play alongside starters, carrying responsibilities within the normal offense and defense.

By Saturday night's end, Kiffin should have a clearer idea of whom he can rotate, whom he can use in specific situations, and where LSU still needs protection.

That is the depth the Tigers will need when SEC play resumes.

Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google