LSU Has One Job Left for Saturday’s Final Fall Camp Scrimmage

LSU’s second and final scrimmage of fall camp arrives Saturday, and it marks the last live-action evaluation before the Tigers pivot fully into game-prep week.

Lane Kiffin has used the past three weeks to sort out some issues that his roster, overhauled by a 41-player transfer class, has had to this point.

His team has done a good job of growing and finding answers to major questions, and it all culminated with the first scrimmage in Death Valley last Saturday.

What it hasn’t really settled yet is who lines up behind Sam Leavitt if LSU needs a change at quarterback. That question is the one job left before the Tigers close the book on camp.

With the season opener against Clemson now less than three weeks away, Kiffin doesn’t have the luxury of an open competition dragging into game week. Saturday’s scrimmage is his last controlled setting to make a call.

The Backup Quarterback Battle

LSU Tigers head football coach Lane Kiffin talking with Quarterback Husan Longstreet 8 at LSU Football practice. August 18, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Leavitt has firmly established himself as LSU’s QB1, and Kiffin has praised how much better the passing game looks with him healthy and running the show every day. But he’s physical, gutsy and creative, leading to some chances to take hits.

It’s imperative that LSU has a backup plan.

USC transfer Husan Longstreet has been working behind Leavitt throughout camp, but he hasn’t had a scrimmage setting to prove he can operate the offense at game speed. Right on his tails is Elon transfer Landen Clark, who has had a similar fall camp.

Why It Can’t Wait

Kiffin doesn’t get another scrimmage after this one; everything from here forward is built around Clemson-specific game-planning. Whatever the depth chart says walking off the field Saturday night is likely what LSU takes into the opener.

Of course the depth chart can change, but at a position with barely any rotation, the second spot is a massive position to iron out.

What Kiffin Needs to See

Every coach wants extended, live 11-on-11 snaps for their quarterbacks against a starting-caliber defense, not just scout-team work or 7-on-7 throws.

A clean, decisive showing would let either one lock in the QB2 role and stop thinking about it during Clemson prep.

The same goes for a handful of other second-team spots, including the defensive line, offensive line, running backs and wide receivers.

Quarterback carries the most weight, since it’s the one position where an unresolved backup plan can undo an entire season if the starter goes down.

Once Saturday’s scrimmage wraps, LSU shifts into a closed, opponent-specific mode built entirely around Dabo Swinney’s Clemson team.

Kiffin has said as much himself, framing this final camp stretch as the last window to evaluate players on performance before every rep starts pointing toward Week 1.

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

Add us as a preferred source on Google