The LSU Tigers football program is entering a new era as Year 1 under head coach Lane Kiffin begins in a couple of weeks. LSU will open the 2026 college football season against the Clemson Tigers, which will be Kiffin’s first major test.
Nonetheless, the question as fall camp nears is what should the expectations be for the Tigers in Kiffin’s first season? LSU brought in the former Ole Miss head coach to get the team to the College Football Playoff and win championships.
Still, should that be the mindset in 2026? Former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach and ESPN college football analyst Nick Saban doesn’t think so.
“I think that Lane did really well in terms of roster management, bringing 59 new players in and a very good recruiting class, but also a very good group of top-end players out of the transfer portal,” Saban said during a July 23 appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “They’ve got some really good players.
“Do they have enough depth on their team to sustain the grind of playing the kind of schedule they have to play? And do they have the culture built to be able to do that? I don’t think there’s any doubt that Lane will be successful at LSU. I just don’t know if it’s realistic to think that turnaround is going to happen immediately.”
Lane Kiffin Should Have Long-Term Success at LSU
While Saban doesn’t see championships coming in Year 1 for Kiffin at LSU, the former head coach does see long-term success for the Tigers. The analyst sees the bigger picture and praises the alignment that the coaching staff and administration have to put LSU back in the national championship discussion.
“Internally, you’re going to do the best you can and put more pressure on yourself to make your team as good as you can because you want to win, just like the players want to win and just like the fans want to win,” Saban added. “So, I think Lane’s going to do really, really well there. I think LSU is a tremendous job.
“They have a lot of good players in the state, and those players like to stay close to home. They love LSU. He’s got a really good fan base and a lot of support. I think the administration is aligned to help him be successful, and look, he’s been successful everywhere he’s been, really.”
Nick Saban Has High Expectations for Lane Kiffin at LSU
Moreover, Saban is backing Kiffin, whom he had on his coaching staff at Alabama, to be successful at LSU due to the coach’s track record.
“Since he was at Alabama, we were successful, and he contributed to that,” Saban said. “He went to Florida Atlantic and had success there, turning the program around.
“He did a phenomenal job at Ole Miss, and I think there’s more potential for success at LSU than at any place he’s ever been. I’m excited to see how the Lane Kiffin era at LSU goes because I’m still newer to the college football world.”
While facing Clemson will be a major test for Kiffin and the Tigers, the biggest game comes a few weeks later on Sept. 19 when LSU faces Ole Miss. Furthermore, it will be a hostile environment at Vaught Hemingway Stadium, given how Kiffin left.
Nick Saban Sounds Off on LSU, Lane Kiffin Ahead of Fall Camp