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LSU Tigers

SEC·2-0·
Elo
1794#16
SP+
23.3#9
FPI
22.6
AP
#7
Next@ Ole Miss · Wk 3Win prob 22%Model +11.3
Talent #8 (931.8)Recruiting class #1121% production returning

Roster · 113 players

FR 37SO 29JR 34SR 13
#PlayerPosClHtWt
8Husan LongstreetQBFR6'1"195
10Sam LeavittQBJR6'2"216
11Landen ClarkQBSO6'0"195
19Kaden MartinQBSR5'11"231
21Cayden JonesQBFR5'10"172
13Dilin JonesRBSO5'11"211
22Harlem BerryRBSO5'10"187
23Stacy GageRBSO5'10"206
24Joseph EbunRBJR5'11"191
25Rod Gainey Jr.RBSO5'9"183
27Raycine Guillory Jr.RBFR5'10"179
29Caden DurhamRBJR5'9"200
1Jayce BrownWRSR5'11"175
2Tre' BrownWRJR6'2"190
3Eugene Wilson IIIWRJR5'11"190
4Jackson HarrisWRJR6'2"202
6Winston Watkins Jr.WRSO5'10"182
15Phillip Wright IIIWRFR6'0"171
26Nolon BuckelsWRFR5'8"190
80Brayden AllenWRFR6'2"197
82Roman MothershedWRJR6'5"208
83Corey Barber Jr.WRFR5'11"188
84Tyree HollowayWRJR5'10"174
85Josh JacksonWRSO6'2"199
86Jabari MackWRFR6'0"195
88Malik ElzyWRJR6'2"214
7Trey'Dez GreenTEJR6'7"237
12Malachi ThomasTEJR6'3"242
44Zach GraceTEJR6'2"236
46James LarsonTESO6'4"235
47JD LaFleurTEFR6'6"254
81Landon CraigTESO6'3"230
87JC AndersonTEFR6'6"256
50William Satterwhite IIOLSO6'3"293
51Ryan MiretOLFR6'4"300
52Ja'Quan SprinkleOLJR6'4"297
53Hayes FuquaOLFR6'6"281
54Ja'Mard Jones Jr.OLSO6'2"312
55Aliou BahOLSR6'5"327
61Braelin MooreOLSR6'2"301
67Bo BordelonOLSR6'6"305
68Brett BordelonOLFR6'4"276
73Adrian LambOLSO6'5"290
74Braden AugustusOLJR6'1"313
76Christian StampsOLJR6'0"326
57JaKolby JonesOTJR6'5"298
65Sean Thompkins Jr.OTJR6'5"308
66Solomon ThomasOTFR6'3"320
69Darrin StreyOTFR6'7"314
70Devin HarperOTSO6'4"312
71Brysten MartinezOTFR6'5"318
75Weston DavisOTSO6'6"315
77Jordan SeatonOTJR6'5"307
1Princewill UmanmielenDESR6'4"244
17Damien ShanklinDEFR6'5"254
19Gabriel RelifordDESO6'3"270
29Jordan RossDEJR6'5"246
48Kolaj CobbinsDESO6'3"234
55Lamar BrownDEFR6'4"295
91Trenton HendersonDEFR6'4"243
93Jaylen BrownDESO6'6"270
97Dylan CarpenterDEJR6'3"252
44Junior TuihalamakaDLSR6'2"260
47Malik BloctonDTJR6'3"286
87Joey AugustDTJR6'0"282
88Richard AndersonDTFR6'3"339
90Stephiylan GreenDTJR6'3"296
92Brandon BrownDTFR6'1"287
95Shone WashingtonDTSR6'4"294
96Dominick McKinleyDTJR6'6"297
98Achilles WoodsDTSO6'3"292
99Deuce GeraldsDTFR6'1"279
6TJ DotteryLBSR6'2"225
7Whit WeeksLBSR6'3"223
15Jaiden BrakerLBFR6'3"223
24Tylen SingletonLBSO6'1"227
26Charles Ross IILBSO6'1"218
31CJ JimcoilyLBSO6'3"218
32Keylan MosesLBFR6'2"212
35Zach WeeksLBFR6'3"230
42Davhon KeysLBJR6'0"227
49Theo GraceLBFR6'2"231
56Jake IbietaLBJR6'0"237
5DJ PickettCBSO6'4"189
8Ja'Keem JacksonCBJR6'0"188
11PJ WoodlandCBJR5'11"164
21Michael Turner Jr.CBSO6'1"162
22Havon Finney Jr.CBFR6'1"173
23Aidan AndingCBSO5'11"170
27Dez EllisCBFR6'2"180
30Treylan JamesCBJR6'1"183
36Emari PetersonCBFR6'1"198
37Craig Walton Jr.CBJR5'11"174
39Lavonte WilliamsDBSO6'3"180
46Seth KnotheDBSR6'1"214
0Tamarcus CooleySJR6'0"206
2Ty BenefieldSSR6'3"208
10Dashawn SpearsSJR6'3"209
13Faheem DelaneSSO6'2"213
16John HurleySSR5'11"179
25Aiden HallSFR6'2"193
28Jhase ThomasSFR6'1"175
33Isaiah WashingtonSFR6'2"175
34Mason DossettSSO6'0"187
38Jackson WilliamsSFR6'2"180
32Gavin HigginsPKFR5'11"189
36Aidan CorbelloPKJR5'9"199
45Sean PerretPKFR5'10"190
80Scott StarzykPKSO5'9"175
90Grant ChadwickPJR6'5"213
99Hayden CraigPFR6'1"206
39Mack MulhernLSFR6'1"224
43Silas HallLSSO6'3"216

Team Statistics · per game, with national FBS rank

Points / game
48.0
scoring offense
Points allowed
12.0
scoring defense
Differential
+36.0
per game
Offense
Total yards / game
586.0#3
Yards / play
6.5#48
Passing yards / game
358.0#4
Rushing yards / game
228.0#27
First downs / game
32.0#2
3rd down %
57.6%#13
4th down %
100.0%#1
Time of possession
35:09#13
Defense
Yards allowed / game
142.5#1
Yards / play allowed
2.8#3
Pass yards allowed / game
124.0#12
Rush yards allowed / game
18.5#2
3rd down % allowed
14.8%#3
Sacks
11#2
Tackles for loss
22#4
Turnovers & Discipline
Turnover margin
-1#90
Takeaways
4#22
Giveaways
5#124
Penalties / game
8.0#105
Penalty yards / game
88.0#132

Rank is national among all FBS teams (#1 = best), oriented so higher rank = better even for defensive and discipline metrics. Bars show percentile.

Scouting Report · 2026 projection

balanced

LSU is in year 1 under Lane Kiffin, whose offenses have been balanced. The strengths are defensive, led by 7th at stuffing runs at the line. The way in is 133rd at staying out of the backfield, and they are 116th at running it.

On fourth down he goes for it more often than his peers do from the same spots (+11.9%). Against what the expected-points model recommends he is −7.8% — the profession as a whole is negative on this.

LSU has played 2 games against an average slate, adjusted for here. That football carries about 0% of what is below; the rest is still the preseason projection.

Projected strengths

  • Defensegetting stopped at the line
    #7
    projected
  • Defenserunning it
    #23
    projected
  • Defensethrowing it
    #27
    projected

Projected soft spots

  • Offensegetting stopped at the line
    #133
    projected
  • Offenserunning it
    #116
    projected
  • Offensesacks and tackles for loss
    #110
    projected

Each bar is where this team sits in the country. Before the season has produced enough football these are PROJECTIONS — last season regressed to the mean, plus talent, returning production, recruiting and whether the staff is the same one — and the season replaces them as it is played. Head coaches only — there is no free feed for coordinators, so on a program where the head coach does not call the offense this describes the staff he hired. Play-calling identity is a style, not a grade: throwing more than the situations warrant is not better than throwing less than they warrant.

2026 Season Projection

model win prob · 9 to play
7.33.7
projected final record (now 20)
Exp. wins left
5.3
of 9 games
Bowl odds
91%
reach 6 wins
Best odds
82%
vs Kentucky
Toughest
22%
vs Ole Miss

How the season could finish · 2026 · chance of each final win total · 9 games left

Every remaining game simulated from the model's win probability for it. Tallest bar is the single likeliest finish, not a prediction that it happens.

234567891011
final winstallest bar = 29% chance
Likeliest finish 7-4 (29%)Bowl eligible 91% · marked on the axis at 6

Player Value

EPA contribution by position group + estimated NIL market value (derived from position rates and on-field production — not actual deal figures).

Unit Value — Total EPA
QBSam Leavitt
+22.6 EPA
TETrey'Dez Green
+17.6 EPA
WREugene Wilson, Jackson Harris +3
+15.6 EPA
RBStacy Gage, Dilin Jones
-0.7 EPA

Total EPA produced by each positional group this season. OL value is captured via the rush/pass efficiency of skill players; OL-specific EPA isn't separately reported.

Estimated NIL Market Value
ESTIMATED
QBSam Leavitt
~$859K
EPA +22.60.278/play81 snaps
RBDilin Jones
~$145K
EPA -1.7-0.041/play42 snaps

Estimated from position-group market rates and on-field EPA contribution. Actual NIL valuations depend on social media following, brand fit, and market negotiations — these figures are directional only.

The Five Factors

ranked vs. FBS · bar = better
Efficiency (PPA)
Off0.2047th#73
Def-0.4299th#1
Explosiveness
Off1.3056th#61
Def1.3427th#101
Field position
Off62.97th#129
Def72.548th#72
Finishing (pts/opp)
Off3.9042nd#81
Def2.8367th#46
Turnovers
Won 4Lost 5
Margin -1

Opponent-adjusted efficiency

EPA/play vs. schedule
Offense
Defense
Off · pass
0.1417th#115
Off · rush
0.2366th#47

Pass vs. rush (PPA)

Rushing
Off0.2366th#47
Def-0.5599th#1
Passing
Off0.1417th#115
Def-0.3499th#1

Trenches & disruption

Line yards (off)
3.42#33
2nd-level / open-field
1.56 / 1.60
Power / stuff (off)
63.6% / 13.2%
Havoc — total (def)
30.2%#3
Havoc — front 7 / DB
23.6% / 6.6%

Standard vs. passing downs

Pro
Std downs
Off0.14
Def-0.51
Pass downs
Off0.34
Def-0.32

PPA on each down type (off vs. def).

Opponent-adjusted by down

Pro
1st2nd3rd
Offense-0.04#1020.49#220.24#116
Defense-0.33#11-0.55#1-0.39#2

Elo Trajectory

ClemsonFinal
Elo rating 16161794+178 over season

Team Fingerprint · 2026 · 43 opponent-adjusted metrics · percentile vs 138 FBS teams

Plot these →
worst in FBSbest

Efficiency

  • Offense EPA/play0.2458th
  • Defense EPA/play allowed-0.2799th
  • Offense success rate50%72nd
  • Defense success rate allowed19%99th

Downs

  • Offense success — standard downs51%61st
  • Offense success — passing downs47%91st
  • Defense success allowed — standard downs28%94th
  • Defense success allowed — passing downs8%99th

Explosiveness

  • Offense explosiveness1.359th
  • Defense explosiveness allowed1.245th
  • Offense explosiveness — standard downs1.049th
  • Offense explosiveness — passing downs2.054th

Trenches

  • Offense line yards2.823rd
  • Defense line yards allowed1.793rd
  • Offense highlight yards1.360th
  • Defense highlight yards allowed0.0496th
  • Offense power success0.6026th
  • Defense power success allowed0.3393rd
  • Offense stuff rate0.1753rd
  • Defense stuff rate0.2989th

Third down

  • Third down conversion63%93rd
  • Third down distance faced5.493rd
  • Third down conversion allowed17%98th
  • Third down distance forced9.394th

Halves

  • Net success rate — first half0.3599th
  • Net success rate — second half0.2694th

Drives

  • Points per drive3.277th
  • Points per drive allowed0.4096th
  • Average starting field position3895th
  • Opponent starting field position2854th
  • Available yards gained66%84th
  • Available yards allowed18%99th
  • Scoring opportunities per drive92%83rd
  • Scoring opportunities allowed64%88th
  • Points per scoring opportunity3.774th
  • Points allowed per opportunity1.193rd
  • Three-and-out rate23%50th
  • Three-and-outs forced56%99th

Roster

  • Returning usage27%28th
  • Returning EPA42.923rd
  • Team talent composite93295th
  • Recruiting class rank11.093rd
  • Recruiting class points27393rd

Every metric is opponent-adjusted and ranked so that higher is always better — a defensive rate that is good when low is ranked accordingly. Sack and tackle-for-loss composition are deliberately absent: their relationship to team quality is a measured null, so they carry a style rather than a rank, and they appear in the pressure signature instead.

Intelligence Report

Offensive DNA

EPA/play
+0.200#73 · average
Pass EPA/play
+0.142#115
Rush EPA/play
+0.233#47
Explosiveness
1.301#61
Pts/opportunity
3.90#81
Success rate
47.4%

Rush efficiency edge: 0.092 EPA/play

🛡

Defensive Identity

High-pressure defense — top 1 nationally in EPA/play allowed
EPA/play allowed
-0.418#1 · elite
Havoc rate (total)
30.2%#3
Front-7 havoc
23.6%
DB havoc
6.6%
Big play rate allowed
1.344#101
Success rate allowed
11.8%

Disruption comes primarily from the front seven.

📊

Season Signature

48.0 PPG offense, 12.0 allowed — +36.0 margin/game
Points per game
48.0
Points allowed/game
12.0
Scoring margin/game
+36.0
Turnover margin
-1won 4 · lost 5
Production returning
21%
Talent rank (247)
#8

2-0 record through 2 games.

Team Shape · percentile vs. FBS · dashed = 50th

OFFENSE47thEXPLOSIVENESS56thFINISHING42thFIELD POS7thDEFENSE100thHAVOC99th50th100th
Offense
47th
Explosiveness
56th
Finishing
42th
Field Pos
7th
Defense
100th
Havoc
99th

Each axis = national percentile rank. 100th = best in FBS, 0th = worst. Defense and Havoc are oriented so higher = better.

CORE efficiency · situation and opponent removed

Points per 100 plays above average, after the game state is regressed out of every snap and the schedule is solved out across the whole league. The version of this team’s efficiency that can be compared to a team it never played.

Overall
+31.8
#5
Offense
+1.1
#59
Defense
-30.7
#1
Full CORE ratings →

What a possession is worth · 26 drives

MeasureOffenseDefense
Points per drive3.150.40
Starting field positionown 37.5own 27.6
Available yards66.1%17.7%
Scoring opportunities92.3%64.0%
Points per opportunity3.711.06
Three-and-out rate23.1%56.0%
Every team’s drive efficiency →

Play-calling identity

Against what the league calls from the same down, distance, field position, score and clock — so this is the staff, not the game script.

Pass rate
47.9%
Expected, given the spots
47.4%
Over expected
+0.5
Fourth down vs peers
-13
Fourth down vs the model
-60
All play-calling tendencies →

National Landscape · 2026 FBS · offense vs. defense EPA/play

Each dot = one FBS team. LSU is highlighted. Tap or hover a dot for details.

ELITEDEF. FORTRESSOFF. POWERHOUSEREBUILDING-0.100.00+0.10+0.20+0.30-0.050.00+0.10+0.20Offensive EPA/play← worsebetter →Defensive EPA allowed/play← worsebetter →

Similar Programs

Teams with the closest offense + defense efficiency profile to LSU in 2026

by EPA/play distance
Kansas StateSP+ +12.7
Off EPA/play +0.314Def EPA/play -0.219Elo 1684
Match
87%
Texas A&MSP+ +23.9
Off EPA/play +0.224Def EPA/play -0.179Elo 1890
Match
86%
AlabamaSP+ +20.0
Off EPA/play +0.274Def EPA/play -0.174Elo 1859
Match
85%
Georgia SouthernSP+ -5.8
Off EPA/play +0.144Def EPA/play -0.166Elo 1359
Match
85%
New MexicoSP+ +4.4
Off EPA/play +0.301Def EPA/play -0.150Elo 1564
Match
84%
James MadisonSP+ -0.3
Off EPA/play +0.303Def EPA/play -0.145Elo 1776
Match
83%

Similarity = normalized Euclidean distance on season offensive and defensive EPA/play. Teams within ±0.02 EPA/play on both units score >90%.

Program Trajectory · CORE rating · 20152026 · points per game vs an average FBS team

2015: +22.4, #7 of 1282016: +30.9, #4 of 1282017: +18.7, #15 of 1302018: +20.6, #9 of 1302019: +50.8, #1 of 1302020: -8.3, #91 of 1242021: +7.0, #48 of 1302022: +26.9, #5 of 1312023: +21.8, #10 of 1332024: +13.1, #30 of 1342025: +8.1, #45 of 1362026: +31.8, #5 of 138
20152026
Now +31.8 · #5 of 138Best +50.8 in 2019Worst -8.3 in 2020

Program History

recent seasons
YearOverallConfWin %xWLuck
20262-00-0
100%
2.0+0.0
20257-63-5
54%
6.4+0.6
20249-45-3
69%
7.1+1.9
202310-36-2
77%
8.9+1.1
202210-46-3
71%
8.9+1.1
20216-73-5
46%
7.2-1.2
20205-55-5
50%
3.1+1.9
201915-09-0
100%
14.6+0.4
201810-35-3
77%
9.8+0.2
20179-46-2
69%
9.3-0.3

xW = expected wins from per-game dominance. Luck = actual − expected (positive = won close games).

55%of 50,000 simulated 2026 seasons end with them in the field

2-0 so far, projected to finish 9.5-2.8. Top-four bye in 23%. Wins the SEC in 16%.

If they finish with…

100%
0 losses
100%
1 loss
98%
2 losses
36%
3 losses
0.1%
4 losses

Their chance of making it at each final loss count. Better than even up to 2.

Win out and it is 100%. Running the table settles it.

up 21.9 points since preseasonwon 51-10 over Clemson against an expected margin of +10, so +31.3 against the number.

  • At 3 losses they are 36% where the average SEC team is 41%.
  • The SEC takes 4.08 bids in an average season, and four or more in 75%.

LSU’s own turning points

Points of playoff probability between winning and losing.

  • wk4vs Texas A&M39.9
  • wk10vs Alabama39.5
  • wk11vs Texas39.2
  • wk7vs Mississippi State39.1
  • wk12at Tennessee38.0
  • wk3at Ole Miss36.6

Who to root for

Games LSU is not in that move its odds most. Same units, much smaller scale.

  • wk9Mississippi State over Texas2.5
  • wk12Louisiana Tech over Arkansas State2.4
  • wk6Missouri over Texas A&M2.4
  • wk6Maryland over Ohio State2.4
  • wk10West Virginia over Texas Tech2.3
  • wk3Kentucky over Texas A&M2.3
The full playoff picture →

SEC

0-0 in league play, projected 6.4-2.63 of 16 by title odds
16%
Wins the SEC
32%
Reaches the title game

The SEC sends its top two by conference winning percentage, head-to-head breaking a tie. The last berth is level on percentage in 49% of simulated seasons, so a tiebreaker decides it about that often.

  • wk11Texas at LSU19.9
  • wk4Texas A&M at LSU17.7
  • wk10Alabama at LSU17.2
  • wk12LSU at Tennessee17.1

Points of title probability riding on each result. The whole SEC race →

If not the playoff, then

98%
Bowl eligible
44%
Placed in a bowl
55%
In the playoff
1.5%
Season over in November

LSU is 2-0 and needs 4 more wins from 10 games to reach the six that make a team eligible — at most one of which may come against an FCS opponent.

  • Citrus Bowl10%
  • ReliaQuest Bowl8.4%
  • Gator Bowl6.8%
  • Duke's Mayo Bowl5.6%
  • Music City Bowl4.3%
  • Texas Bowl3.4%

Every bowl, and how each one picks →

Recruiting Pipelines

since 2010

Of the 170 high-school programs with a pipeline page here, 22 have sent LSU a player since 2010 — 73 signees between them. Where they signed, not where they were offered, and not a complete list of LSU's feeder schools: only these 170 have the outcome history to measure.

High schoolSignedDrafted
Edna KarrLA92
Baton Rouge CatholicLA73
St. AugustineLA63
Evangel Christian AcademyLA50
Archbishop RummelLA42
NevilleLA42
John CurtisLA41
ParkwayLA41
All 170 high-school pipelines →
✓/✗ = whether our pregame model picked the winner. Win % & projections from the Gridpex model. Data: CollegeFootballData.