The players who made their way to Baton Rouge are Princewill Umanmielen, TJ Dottery, Winston Watkins Jr., and Devin Harper. Kiffin knows all four players firsthand, highlighting the level of familiarity and trust he has in them as he looks to further strengthen an LSU team competing in the SEC.

The Tigers back Lane Kiffin in what could be a hostile environment in Oxford. LSU started the season 2-0 and will look to continue its winning streak in a key matchup against the Rebels.

A familiar coaching staff for Kiffin

Kiffin’s arrival at LSU caught the attention of both those within the program and outsiders alike, but he did not make the move alone. The experienced coach made sure to bring much of his staff with him, having worked alongside them for a long time in Mississippi.

• Charlie Weis Jr. – Offensive Coordinator
• Joe Cox – Co-Offensive Coordinator / Tight Ends
• George McDonald – Passing Game Coordinator / Wide Receivers
• Kevin Smith – Assistant Head Coach / Running Backs
• Dane Stevens – Quarterbacks
• Sawyer Jordan – Inside Wide Receivers
• Chris Kiffin – Co-Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers
• Lou Spanos – Pass Rush Specialist / Assistant Defensive Line

In addition to these eight on-field coaches, two senior support and operations leaders also transitioned with Kiffin to complete the core staff:

• Thaddeus Rivers – Senior Associate Athletic Director for Football Operations
• 10. Nick Savage – Head Strength and Conditioning Coach

LSU wants another title

LSU is hungry to get back to the top of the college football world, and bringing in Lane Kiffin is exactly the high-octane shake-up Tigers fans have been waiting for. With Death Valley eager for another trophy, the goal is crystal clear: break the drought and bring a National Championship back to Baton Rouge for the first time since their legendary 2019 season.

With Kiffin calling the shots and running his signature explosive offense, LSU is ready to turn up the noise, make a serious playoff push, and prove they’re back in full force.

The situation for both players escalated further following a statement released by the NFL on its official website, stating that they are ineligible to join any NFL team this season after attempting to return to college and play for LSU. Their attempt to reunite with Kiffin, however, did not go as planned.

Zxavian Harris signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent, while Dae’Quan Wright had done the same with the Cleveland Browns. At this point, their futures in the sport remain uncertain.

Why Kiffin moved on from these two players

There is no doubt that Kiffin played a major role in attempting to bring these two players back to college football. However, following LSU’s season-opening win over the Clemson Tigers, the head coach told the media that the final decision was made with “the big picture of LSU and the LSU football program” in mind, given the “uncertainties of what could come by adding them to the roster.”

“My job is what I believe is right, and I believe we were fighting for what was right for those kids,” Kiffin also added. “I’m not going to get into all the reasons, but that’s what I believe.”

Who took Wright and Harris’ roster spots?

The demands of a College Football season require a deep and competitive roster capable of meeting the challenges ahead. The final two spots on the 105-man roster representing the Tigers this season went to cornerback Aidan Anding and defensive end Gabriel Reliford, two players with prior ties to the program who returned to LSU, according to insider Pete Thamel.

His controversial departure from the University of Mississippi sparked endless backlash, and to this day, many people still hold a grudge against the coach. Whit Weeks, one of the Tigers’ standout players, said Kiffin is fully prepared for a hostile reception at his former home.

“I haven’t really thought about that,” Weeks said during his press conference. “But, I mean, I know he’s going to get it. I know they don’t like him up there. But he’s prepared for that. I mean, it is what it is. He’s done it before in his career. I know he’s more prepared than anybody.”

It won’t be long before Vaught-Hemingway Stadium at Hollingsworth Field is rocking, with the home crowd sure to make its presence felt. Will the Rebels be able to take advantage of that, or will everything off the field take a back seat once the football starts flying?

Kiffin doesn’t appear to be welcome in Oxford anymore

Lane Kiffin’s fall from grace at Ole Miss stems from a departure that local fans view as the ultimate betrayal: abandoning the program on the cusp of the College Football Playoff to accept the head coaching position at LSU, a direct SEC rival.

After spending years building the Rebels into a legitimate national powerhouse and gaining the unwavering trust of Oxford, Kiffin exited at the absolute peak of the team’s postseason push. For many, this move was not well received.

Leaving a playoff-bound roster to sign with a division rival for greater prestige and money shattered his legacy with the fan base, instantly transforming him from a revered architect into persona non grata in Mississippi.

“To me, it’s like high school homecoming for [Lane Kiffin and LSU]. Like, if you focus on the wrong s—, that homecoming dance ain’t very fun after you get your b— beat on a Friday night,” Golding said in the build-up to Saturday’s Magnolia Bowl, via FOX News. Golding’s message may also serve as a warning to his own squad. There will be a lot of distractions around campus with the national spotlight in attendance, and it’ll be a double-edged sword.

A reunion game doesn’t do this matchup justice. When the Rebels host Kiffin and the Fighting Tigers on Saturday, it will be a revenge game. Make no mistake about that. There may be no game with more hostility on the entire 2026 college football schedule. Not even “The Game” or “Iron Bowl” may come close, at least not this season in the NCAA. This one simply means more.

There is an open wound in Oxford, MS, and only one way to heal it. College football has become filled with ironies, and the fact that this game will be played in The Hospitality State may be one of the best. Walking into Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Kiffin and the Tigers (especially those who have Rebels backgrounds on their résumés) will learn better than to judge a state by its nickname.

Kiffin pokes the bear

Every college football fan across the country is entitled to their own opinion. Still, say what you want about Lane Kiffin, he sure has taken the villain role to the next level. Just three weeks into the 2026 NCAA season, he’s put on an act for the ages, and his LSU team is undefeated and ranked No. 7 in the country, so that’s that, too. Before touching down in the Magnolia State, Kiffin made sure to get the fanbase in Oxford even angrier at him.

“I told the players, man, you don’t have anything to worry about as far like attention on you all week,” Kiffin stated, per FOX News. “There’s going to be so much attention, hatred, everything on me, you just get to go play.“

Kiffin isn’t wrong. He also likes having the spotlight on him, though. He’ll say it’s a mechanism to take it off his players and get them to play with some weight off their shoulders, but that’s where many may beg to differ. There are other ways to take the pressure off the players; Kiffin simply can’t—or doesn’t want to—go out of his old ways.

A game unlike any other

The stage is set for the game circled in red ever since Kiffin abruptly ended his tenure in Oxford and boarded a flight to Baton Rouge. Finally, the wait is over. Both teams will make their final tweaks to the game plan, and it will be kickoff time before everybody knows it. Only one will be left standing in a crucial SEC showdown.

The eyes of the entire country will be fixed on the game on Saturday night. They say in the SEC it means more, but this game is so vitriol-filled that the conference implications feel irrelevant. For Ole Miss, the taste of victory may be better than a national championship.

Kiffin and LSU may belittle the duel even in triumph, but deep down, they know it’s the biggest game of the year for them. If they can’t clear this hurdle, the writing will be on the wall. Golding said he and Kiffin are “definitely, still friends.” That friendship will be put to the ultimate test over the weekend. And a line might be drawn in the sand forever.

In fact, the home team’s head coach was asked and didn’t give the green light for the game to resume earlier. As a result, college football fans had to wait longer, Clemson players were forced to stay idle in a hostile away locker room for hours, and it all helped the home team crush the visitors with a memorable scoreboard in NCAA football. It wasn’t luck; it had Kiffin’s hand all over it.

“That [away] locker room sucks over there. This is a real thing. Even when they said ‘Hey, you want to shorten the 90 minutes when we come back?’ I said ‘No, leave it all there. We’ll go out at midnight.’ If you haven’t figured out my competitiveness in order to win,” Kiffin said during his postgame press conference.

“If I’m going through all that other stuff for two players (Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris) nationally, if I think 90 minutes is going to help us win the game, I’m certainly going to sit in the locker room for 90 minutes.”

Kiffin still won’t mention Ole Miss

Months have passed since Kiffin’s chaotic, mid-playoff, headline-grabbing departure from the University of Mississippi to take the head coaching job at Louisiana State University. Still, neither side is letting go, and both are continuously going at each other’s throats.

During his first postgame media availability at LSU, Kiffin kept up a recent trend in which he steers away from naming his former school. Not Ole Miss, not the Rebels, nothing at all. They are now those who shall not be named by Kiffin.

“It’s great to be on this side. I’ve been over there [on the other end] a lot. Three times in the last place, two in Alabama,” Kiffin said on a question about being inside Tiger Stadium as part of the home team rather than a visitor. Kiffin stuttered before naming Ole Miss, but referenced his former school as “the last place”. “I’ve been over there when it’s been really intense, so I was glad to be on this side,” Kiffin concluded his statement.

What’s next for Kiffin’s LSU?

“Imagine if we had pro players,” Kiffin jokingly—and not so much—stated at halftime of his season opener with LSU. Fans across college football may not have to use their imagination for too long. Although neither Wright nor Harris was listed by the Tigers in Week 1, they could make the team in Week 2 and moving forward.

LSU’s schedule will give Kiffin and company no breaks, and they will need every helping hand they can muster, especially the two pairs of hands belonging to players who signed NFL contracts not too long ago. In Week 2, LSU will host Louisiana Tech, coming off an 80-6 win in Week 1, in Baton Rouge. It will provide the Tigers with a chance to iron out details and give their starters some rest late in the game. They will need it.

In Week 3, Kiffin will walk his new program into the lion’s den in Oxford, as the No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels have had their former head coach’s return game circled in red for a long time. In Week 4, the No. 11 LSU Tigers will host the No. 8 Texas A&M Aggies at Tiger Stadium.

The good news for LSU and Clemson fans is that the game is now moving toward a definitive start. The new kickoff time has been set, meaning fans will have to wait more than two hours beyond the originally scheduled start to finally see Kiffin take the sideline for his first game as the Tigers’ head coach.

The delay created significant uncertainty because lightning remained in the area and forced safety precautions around the stadium. However, the required 90-minute weather clock is now underway, and all the necessary conditions are in place for the game to resume safely. Unless another weather issue develops, LSU and Clemson are expected to take the field at the new kickoff time.

What time is LSU vs. Clemson now?

The LSU-Clemson game will now kick off at 9:40 p.m. ET, following the lengthy weather delay in Baton Rouge. The updated start time gives both teams additional time to complete their preparations while officials monitor conditions around Tiger Stadium and make sure the playing environment is safe.

For Lane Kiffin, the wait will make his first game with LSU even more unusual. The former Ole Miss head coach arrived in Baton Rouge with enormous expectations after leaving the Rebels and taking over one of the biggest programs in college football.

His first game was supposed to begin under the national spotlight at the originally scheduled time, but Mother Nature had other plans. The 90-minute clock being underway is an important development because it means the safety process is progressing toward the resumption of play.

Lightning in the area was the main reason for the delay, with multiple lightning strikes reported within an eight-mile radius of Tiger Stadium. Thunderstorms were also moving toward the LSU campus, creating unsafe conditions for fans, players and staff ahead of the highly anticipated season opener. LSU officials had not announced a new kickoff time when the delay was reported.

The weather delay comes at the worst possible time for fans who have been waiting months to see what Kiffin can do at LSU. The former Ole Miss head coach left Oxford to take over the Tigers and immediately brought enormous expectations to Baton Rouge. Now, his first game at LSU has been temporarily interrupted before he can officially begin this new chapter of his career.

Why is LSU vs Clemson delayed?

The delay was caused by lightning and thunderstorms around Tiger Stadium. Because lightning poses an immediate safety risk, the game cannot begin until conditions improve and officials determine that it is safe for everyone inside and around the stadium. The weather had already affected the buildup to the game, with ESPN’s College GameDay also forced to move its broadcast indoors because of nearby lightning.

The delay adds another layer of drama to what was already one of the biggest storylines of Week 1. Kiffin is beginning a new era at LSU after leaving Ole Miss, where he established himself as one of the most prominent offensive-minded coaches in college football. His arrival has generated enormous attention, and Saturday’s matchup against Clemson was supposed to provide the first real glimpse of what his LSU program will look like on the field.

Lane Kiffin is taking over a program with significant expectations, and his debut comes against a Clemson team looking to rebound after a disappointing 2025 season. LSU has also undergone major changes to its roster and coaching staff, making the season opener an important early test for the new head coach.

The Tigers’ classic in Baton Rouge has only heated up on the eve of the Week 1 showdown between LSU and Clemson. Kiffin can thank his school’s interest in and landing of former NFL players for that, as Swinney didn’t mince words on the subject and even had a pointed dig for the former Ole Miss head coach.

“It’s kind of embarrassing, Honestly, it’s embarrassing that’s where we are. I don’t blame the kids, but people trying to take advantage of the system. It’s embarrassing but we’ve been there for a while. No pun intended but we’re just going to stay in our lane,” Swinney said about NFL players being back as school athletes, via ESPN’s David Hale, while making a play on Kiffin’s first name.

Sarkisian calls Kiffin, LSU’s strategy ‘morally wrong’

Swinney didn’t sugarcoat his thoughts on what Kiffin and the Tigers from Louisiana State have been up to ahead of the 2026 NCAA football campaign. Neither did Steve Sarkisian, whose Longhorns—like Swinney’s Tigers—will have to take on the LSU Tigers on the road this year.

Going into one of the toughest environments in the country, Texas knows it will have its hands full against LSU, which could also happen to start players who were on NFL rosters not too long ago. Asked about the controversy and whether the SEC made the right decision by announcing a rule banning former NFL players from playing college football, Sarkisian made a clear admission.

“These players on all of the rosters, not just ours, have been working for nine months for this moment. The fact that somebody out there is going to take a player off of an NFL roster and tell somebody who’s been doing it for nine months go kick rocks, that doesn’t sit well with me. I think that’s wrong, that’s morally wrong,” Sarkisian stated during a press conference ahead of Texas’ season opener. “So I think our presidents, athletic directors, and chancellors got it right. We will support it and fall in line.”

Why Texas’ NFL player Cole Hutson is different?

Sarkisian and the Longhorns also benefited from a courthouse ruling granting players an extra year of eligibility. Cole Hutson is returning to Texas for his fifth year of college football after going undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft. Hutson attended the Cleveland Browns’ and Dallas Cowboys’ minicamps before returning to his alma mater in Austin.

The main differences between his case and that of Dae’Quan Wright, to name one of LSU’s former pro players, are that Hutson didn’t participate in an NFL training camp, didn’t sign an NFL contract, nor did he play in a preseason game. He’s also returning to his school of origin rather than transferring within the conference.

Wright checks all of those boxes, which makes his transfer to LSU from the NFL and Ole Miss one of the more controversial and candid topics in college football. And mixed in the middle of it all is none other than Kiffin.

Kiffin in the eye of the storm

Sarkisian didn’t even have to name Kiffin or LSU, yet everybody knew who he was talking about. Lane Kiffin has truly embraced the villain role ahead of the 2026 NCAA season, starting last season when he left the University of Mississippi ahead of the College Football Playoffs for a head-coaching job at Louisiana State University.

Many thought that was the peak of his public enemy No. 1 status in college sports, but Kiffin hasn’t lowered the bar one bit. Being the main bidder for NFL players returning to college was the last straw, however. Kiffin recently admitted that although he’s had his doubts about going down this path, he has no regrets because his team is behind him.

“I met with the leadership committee of our players and I asked them ‘what do you want to do?’ Every one of them was emphatic that if they can help us win, bring them. This is how the real world works,” Kiffin said per FOX’s Trey Wallace. “That made me feel a little better in the struggle and being torn back and forth.”

Why SEC may not be able to stop LSU

Although the Southeastern Conference announced a rule banning former NFL players from playing college football, the rule may prove futile against a state court’s latest ruling. A Louisiana state judge signed a temporary restraining order preventing the SEC from enforcing the new rule, which promises hefty sanctions and bans for players who previously signed professional contracts in the NFL, NBA or WNBA.

It’s become a trend in college football. The NCAA and conferences say one thing, a state court rules another, and they engage in a dramatic bottleneck, with the careers of young athletes at stake. That’s the case for Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, who have committed to LSU after short stints in the NFL.

The players state that they only declared for the NFL Draft due to unclear rules at the time and would have stayed in college had they been guaranteed the chance to play in the 2026 season. That was only possible after a state court granted them, and many other players, an extra year of eligibility. Virtually no one blames the athletes, but it’s clear there aren’t many fans of LSU’s decision to go after Kiffin’s former players at Ole Miss, either.

“Because of the rulings, they are going to play for you or someone else. We made the decision to recruit them. It’s wrong to be critical of these kids. They were granted a fifth year and a judge said they were wronged,” Kiffin said via Ross Dellenger from Yahoo Sports.

“These players should have been told that they were going to be eligible for a fifth year. Had they known that, they would have stayed (and not signed pro contracts). You may end up having hundreds of athletes told they have a fifth year. It’s a unique circumstance.”

Could Wright be setting a precedent in the sport? His return to college football continues to spark debate and mixed opinions. For now, Kiffin and the tight end will reunite on the same roster, just as they did at Ole Miss.

Why is Wright’s return to the NCAA being debated?

The debate surrounding Dae’Quan Wright’s move to LSU centers on a unprecedented legal loophole that is reshaping college sports. After going undrafted in 2026 and signing pro deals with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns, Wright became part of a landmark lawsuit where a state judge granted certain players an unexpected fifth year of eligibility, ruling that the NCAA failed to properly inform them of their options before they turned pro.

Now, because he was waived, he is set to become the first player ever to transition straight from an NFL roster back to college football. Critics argue this creates major uncertainty for transfer rules and roster management, while supporters—including Lane Kiffin—insist these athletes shouldn’t be penalized for navigating a constantly changing system.

The Tigers have an intriguing offensive arsenal

On paper, this LSU offense is looking straight-up unfair. Sam Leavitt will be running the show with his dual-threat mobility, handing off to an absolute lightning bolt in five-star back Harlem Berry.

Then you look at the receiving corps, Winston Watkins Jr. bringing dynamic playmaker speed, Jayce Brown stretching the field vertical, and Jackson Harris acting as that reliable, chain-moving possession target. Cap it all off with Dae’Quan Wright giving them a massive matchup nightmare at tight end, and Lane Kiffin basically has a pick-your-poison offense that can hit defenses from every single angle.

Reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN, “Wright is believed to be the first player who could play for an NFL team, and then go back to play in college.” This is as incredible as it sounds, given the unprecedented nature of this move.

Wright initially signed with the Philadelphia Eagles after going undrafted, and then was claimed on waivers by the Browns. Wright officially entered the transfer portal on Wednesday. He and other athletes won a lawsuit in Louisiana to get a temporary restraining order. This order lets them play college sports for one more year.

Wright will reunite with Lane Kiffin

In 2024 and 2025, Wright played for coach Kiffin at Ole Miss. Last season, he caught 39 passes for 635 yards and scored five touchdowns for the team. Now, that Kiffin is at LSU, he will return to play with the coach he shone with.

Wright stands at 6’4″, and weighs 246 lbs. That is a prototypical tight end frame and one that could shine back in LSU under Kiffin. Whether this means Wright will never go back to the NFL or not remains to be seen, but a good season in College Football could elevate his stock massively for the future.

LSU’s offensive lineup for 2026

Under Kiffin, the LSU Tigers should improve massively on offense and have one of the best attacks in the nation. The talent is there, the coaching is there, and now, they add an NFL player to their roster.

• QB – Sam Leavitt
• RB – Harlem Berry
• WR1 – Winston Watkins Jr.
• WR2 – Jayce Brown
• WR3 – Jackson Harris
• TE – Dae’Quan Wright

After Kiffin’s dramatic departure from the University of Mississippi to take over as the head coach at Louisiana State University, the Tigers have been under the national spotlight. That means they have a lot to prove, and so does Arizona State transfer Leavitt. Although he could have made excuses just in case things don’t pan out, LSU‘s starting quarterback delivered a bold update on his health.

“I’m 100% right now, and I’ve been 100% for the past few months,” Leavitt admitted during a press conference on Monday. “I really don’t think about [the injury when I’m] out on the field. My health is one thing that I take very seriously. So, it was really never a question for me. So, yeah, I’m ready to go.”

Leavitt’s injury

Leavitt suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot in October 2025, which led to season-ending surgery. That was all she wrote for his time with the Sun Devils, as he would go on to enter the transfer portal and commit to Kiffin and the Tigers.

During the spring, Leavitt underwent a second procedure to remove the pins from his foot. As Leavitt noted during his media availability, he has no more “hardware” in his right foot and faces no setbacks or hurdles in his return to action.

With him fully healthy, LSU expects Leavitt to start in NCAA‘s Week 1, when the Fighting Tigers take on the Tigers from Clemson at Death Valley—the one in Baton Rouge—in a true battle of namesakes and a competition for bragging rights.

Leavitt’s stats in college

At six-foot-two and as a four-star prospect out of West Linn High School in Oregon, Leavitt has become quite the journeyman in college football. The redshirt junior redshirted his true freshman year at Michigan State, appearing in four games, before transferring to Arizona State, where he led the Sun Devils to a Big 12 Championship.

So far in his NCAA career, Leavitt has completed 376 of 612 passes (61.4 completion percentage) for 4,652 yards and 36 touchdowns. Leavitt has also rushed for 816 yards and 10 touchdowns.

His decision-making and tendency to play hero ball still raise eyebrows, but if there’s a school that can make the most out of such a talent, it’s LSU—and Kiffin is the head coach who can help make that possible.