With the departure of Brad Davis and most of the offensive line staff under Brian Kelly, Lane Kiffin has a tall task ahead in rebuilding LSU's offensive line for 2026. Kiffin hired Kentucky OL coach Eric Wolford for the same role on his staff in Baton Rouge, and with the portal set to open on January 2, both Kiffin and Wolford will be on the hunt of premier offensive line talent.
LSU preparing for tough stretch after breezing through non-conference schedule
The LSU offensive line from 2025 has made a mass exodus for the transfer portal. A total of 6 Tiger offensive linemen plan to enter the portal, which leaves Kiffin with plenty of production to replace. His top priorities when rebuilding LSU's offensive line should be finding experience and depth for 2026.
There is plenty of OL talent available in the portal, so here are 3 offensive linemen Kiffin needs to pursue when the portal opens up on Friday.
Xavier Chaplin, Auburn
According to Saturday Blitz, Auburn's Xavier Chaplin is the top offensive lineman available in the portal. The 6'7", 348-pound Chaplin started all 12 games for Auburn at left tackle in 2025. According to PFF, he played 482 passing snaps and allowed just 17 pressures and 3 sacks on the season. Chaplin transferred to Auburn from Virginia Tech last offseason after a strong career in Blacksburg. He earned honorable mention All-ACC honors with the Hokies last season, and has the potential to be an all-conference player in 2026. He has plenty of experience and has one year of eligibility remaining. He could be a great fit in Baton Rouge.
Josh Atkins, Arizona State
When Arizona State's Josh Atkins announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal, he immediately became one of the top linemen available. Atkins started 14 games for Hawai'i in 2023 and caught the eye of Kenny Dillingham. He then left Honolulu for Tempe, and started at left tackle for the Sun Devils in 2024 and 2025. He's allowed just 5 sacks over the last 2 seasons, and his experience would be extremely valuable to Kiffin and LSU.
Shadre Hurst, Tulane
Tulane's Shadre Hurst is one of the more under-the-radar players for Kiffin to look into. Hurst earned Second-Team All-ACC honors this past season as a true freshman, and still has 3 years of eligibility remaining. Saturday Blitz notes that Hurst was exceptional in pass protection, allowing just 6 QB pressures o the season. Furthermore, he kept his opponents from recording any sacks. His run blocking needs some work, but the potential is there for Hurst to be an impactful player in the trenches at the Power 4 school.