The Biggest Concern Nobody Is Talking About for LSU

The headlines regarding LSU football speak of new head coach Lane Kiffin, his star offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss Jr., and the overhaul of the Tigers’ roster via the transfer portal.

After signing the No. 1 transfer portal class, many are just expecting the Tigers to become contenders overnight.

Yet, what nobody is talking about is what if the rise from the end of last season to national championship contenders isn’t as immediate?

The Transfer Portal

Dec 27, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Louisiana State Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin looks on prior to the game against the Houston Cougars at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Fresh off Curt Cignetti leading Indiana, once college football’s most losing-est program, to a national title in just two seasons, many are just expecting Kiffin to do the same thing down in Baton Rouge. After all, it is LSU, and with the storied history of the program, it shouldn’t take much for Kiffin to get the Tigers rolling again.

He just led Ole Miss to its best three-year span since the 1960s, and he did so via a roster that brought top-ranked portal classes one after the other. That is where Kiffin earned the nickname “transfer portal king.”

However, for all the recent success stories there have been in the transfer portal, like Kiffin proving it can be a sustainable way of roster-building, or Cignetti showing it can win at the highest levels, even with a historically losing program, there are still the downsides and cautionary tales.

Look at Florida State, for instance; it took Mike Norvell two straight losing seasons before going 23-4 in 2022 and 2023. Norvell built his roster via the portal, culminating in the controversial undefeated regular season in 2023 before an omission from the College Football Playoff relegated them to an Orange Bowl loss to Georgia.

Since then, Norvell and the Seminoles have won a mere seven games in two seasons.

That isn’t to say that Kiffin and LSU will suffer the same fate. However, it is a concern that entering Year 1 of his tenure, Kiffin will be coaching a roster with over 40 transfers.

He will be setting the culture of his program with mostly new players, some of whom won’t be in Baton Rouge for more than a season. A disappointing season not only could take some light out of Kiffin’s star, but potentially delay him from fully implementing the culture of his program.

While it is a different era, major coaches have rarely experienced great success in Year 1 at these major jobs. Kirby Smart went 8-5 at Georgia, Nick Saban was 7-6 at Alabama, and Kiffin was 5-5 in Year 1 at Ole Miss.

The portal will undoubtedly be an advantage for Kiffin, especially compared to those other coaches mentioned. Yet, it can also be a downside if he doesn’t have the right players or just enough continuity on the team; his first year at LSU may not end in a playoff appearance.

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