LSU's Coaches Poll Ranking Sets the Stage for Lane Kiffin's First Season

With fall camp set to start Wednesday, it's almost time for the talking to finish and for the ball to be spotted. But before the Tigers can open the season, they have to see where they fall in the rankings.

In the preseason coaches poll, LSU ranks No. 13. The Tigers are one of three teams ranked that high that did not compete in the College Football Playoff last year, joining Texas and Notre Dame, who file into the top five.

This ranking speaks volumes about how much of a turnaround the Tigers have had, going from a 7-6 season where the offense couldn't move downfield to a preseason ranking that puts them right on the bubble of a playoff berth.

LSU and preseason rankings

LSU is stopped in a game against Oklahoma | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

LSU hasn't had the best history with preseason rankings, more often than not falling behind the expectations laid on it before ever playing a game.

But with this being the coaches' poll and not the AP poll, it shows that coaches are aware of how much talent this LSU team is coming in with and that it is indeed not the same squad as last year. LSU is being taken seriously by coaches, not just talking heads.

This spot in the rankings isn't unusual for LSU at all. Since 2013, LSU has been ranked at either No. 12 or No. 13 in the Preseason Coaches Poll six different times, including three straight years starting at the No. 13 spot from 2013-15.

Those teams generally had underwhelming seasons and failed to make a New Year's Six bowl game, all of which have been absorbed into the playoff model.

Most of the underperformance came from a lack of a rushing attack in big games and poor quarterback play. LSU looks to have fixed both of those things ahead of the 2026 season, but still needs to prove it on the field.

LSU added Wisconsin transfer running back Dilin Jones, who broke out in the spring and will likely be sharing first-team reps with Harlem Berry and Caden Durham. That rotation, along with all other backs, will be one of the biggest things to watch in the fall.

Quarterback Sam Leavitt transferred in from Arizona State to help bring the Tigers back to a national championship, and he's got the playoff experience to do it. He helped lead the Sun Devils to the 2024 playoff after winning the Big 12.

There are a lot of high expectations for this LSU team, and this No. 13 ranking in the Coaches' Poll puts them right at the line that they need to be at. Just good enough to make the playoff.

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