LSU Offseason Recap: Where LSU Did and Didn’t Improve

LSU’s first offseason under Lane Kiffin has had it’s highs and lows.

Jul 23, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Lane Kiffin’s first offseason at LSU brought sweeping change across the roster and coaching staff. Five weeks of spring practice offered the first real look at how much of that overhaul actually stuck.

The result answered a lot of questions, but it also raised some more. Some units clearly grew as spring wore on, while at least one long-running problem area is still searching for answers.

That’s normal for a program replacing its head coach, offensive coordinator and much of its two-deep in a single offseason. But LSU has found itself facing the highest expectations in Year 1.

The Offense Found Its Footing

LSU Tigers tight end Trey'Dez Green (14) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025 during the NCAA football game against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. LSU Tigers won 17-10. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Early spring practice showed a first-team offense that struggled to sustain drives, with stalled possessions, interceptions and drive-killing holding penalties becoming a common outcome. Kiffin was candid that his retooled offense was well behind a defense that kept most of its key pieces and coaching staff intact.

By the midpoint of camp, though, the offense began settling into its new system and pushing back against the defense, and that trend only grew stronger in the final weeks.

The last practices open to media showed far more balanced execution between the two sides than had been the case earlier in spring.

Quarterback play backed that up.

Growing pains never fully disappeared at the end of spring, but the trajectory by the end of spring was clearly upward, and the offensive efficiency was clearly better.

The Running Back Room Became a Real Strength

Nov 15, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers running back Caden Durham (29) runs against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the first half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Beyond the offense settling in overall, one position group stood out on its own: running back.

Wisconsin transfer Dilin Jones caught the coaching staff’s attention throughout spring, impressing in pass protection, and with his vision and footwork. Kiffin pointed to Jones as one of the few settled answers on an offense still sorting out several other spots.

Jones was the most consistent back in practice and ran with the first-team offense for much of the spring’s final stretch. That kind of clarity is a real shift for a backfield that entered spring with two high-production returners. But Jones made his mark despite the veteran presence.

Solidifying the Offensive Line

Sep 1, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; A general overall view of helmets at the line fo scrimmage as LSU Tigers offensive lineman DJ Chester (79) snaps the ball against the Southern California Trojans in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Not every unit made that kind of progress.

By the time spring wrapped up, LSU still hadn’t settled at least two starting offensive line spots, an issue coaches hoped would sort itself out once preseason camp begins in August. That’s a frustratingly familiar storyline to last season for Tiger fans.

The line entered spring with roughly a third of its players as returners and only two returning starters from a year ago, which meant new competitions at nearly every spot. Some notable transfers were known to compete for, if not locking down, those spots by the end of spring. But that hasn’t fully been the case.

Spring practice didn’t resolve those battles entirely, and they’ll now carry into fall camp with less runway before the season opener.

The stakes for getting it right are high. LSU’s offensive line problems in 2025 were severe enough to undercut the run game and quarterback protection all season, and those issues cascaded into a midseason coaching change.

A nearly full rebuild up front was always going to take time, but after an entire spring of new pairings and no settled two-deep, the line remains the clearest area where LSU still has real work to do before September.

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