Theses 3 LSU Transfers Who Will Play the Biggest Roles of the Bunch in 2026

The LSU Tigers have several new pieces who will be looked at to play big roles in 2026.

LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

The LSU Tigers head into a new era after the 2025 season, which put a final nail in the coffin of the Brian Kelly era in Baton Rouge. The Tigers ended last year with a 7-6 record and only won three SEC games all season, and fired Kelly in the middle of the year.

LSU made the biggest splash in this year's coaching carousel, scooping Lane Kiffin away from the Ole Miss Rebels to take over the Tigers program. Kiffin got to work right away, building a roster that will be looking to compete in 2026, and made great use of the transfer portal.

All in all, the Tigers will have a total of 40 incoming transfers headed to Baton Rouge for the 2026 season. And now, with a fall under the belt of all the newcomers, the transfers should start to mesh as one. Some of the transfers will be needed to make more of an impact than others. Here’s a look at three of those incoming transfers who will play the biggest roles in 2026.

Sam Leavitt 

Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt against the Houston Cougars in the second half at Mountain America Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Tasked with being the face of the new era of LSU football and running the Kiffin offense is Arizona State transfer Sam Leavitt. The signal caller battled through an injury-riddled season in 2025, but when healthy, Leavitt has proven he can be one of the top quarterbacks in the country.

The last time Leavitt was fully healthy, the quarterback helped lead the Sun Devils to a No. 4 seed and a spot in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals in 2024. That season, Leavitt completed 61.7 percent of his passes while tossing for 2,885 yards and 24 touchdowns. The quarterback also added 443 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

Leavitt has the dual-threat ability to fully unlock and run the Kiffin offense like quarterback Trinidad Chambliss did a season ago at Ole Miss. The quarterback's biggest task right now is to get fully healthy, but if Leavitt can get anywhere close to his performances in 2024, the Tigers could be right back in contention for a national title in 2026.

Jordan Seaton

Colorado Buffaloes offensive tackle Jordan Seaton pass protects on Brigham Young Cougars defensive end Hunter Clegg (90) in the second quarter at Folsom Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Brought in to be the anchor of the Tigers' offensive line and protect Leavitt’s blindside is Colorado transfer Jordan Seaton. The huge six-foot-five, 307-pound left tackle has quickly become one of the top offensive linemen in his two seasons in Boulder.

The left tackle started from day one since he arrived on campus at Colorado as the No. 1 overall offensive lineman in the 2024 recruiting class. Over the last two seasons, he’s started in 22 contests, where he earned second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2025 after earning Freshman All-America honors in 2024. 

Princewill Umanmielen

Mississippi Rebels linebacker Princewill Umanmielen rushes the passer as Tulane Green Wave offensive lineman Derrick Graham prepares to block. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The newest Tiger who will be looked to play the biggest part on the LSU offense is defensive edge Princewill Umanmielen. The defensive end followed Kiffin from Ole Miss after he turned into one of the highlights of the Rebels' defense.

Umanmielen ended the 2025 season by recording 44 tackles (17 solo), 13 tackles for loss, nine sacks, an interception, and two pass deflections. The edge rusher will be looked at as the imposing defensive presence that LSU will need to get back into serious contention.

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