Lane Kiffin’s debut LSU transfer class continues to earn high praise

When Lane Kiffin was hired as the next head coach of the LSU Football program, Tiger fans were immediately fired up at the possibilities. Kiffin led Ole Miss to the best regular season in program history in 2025, and with LSU starving for another shot at a national title, Kiffin was LSU's top target from the minute Brian Kelly was fired.

Lane Kiffin continues working his recruiting magic in pursuit of 5-star CB Joshua Dobson

Kiffin has been on the job in Baton Rouge for less than two months, but he has already made a tremendous impact. Kiffin's roster construction for 2026 has included signing 14 players during the Early Signing Period, retaining several top playmakers, and bringing in over 40 players through the transfer portal.

Known as "The Portal King," Kiffin's inaugural portal class in Baton Rouge continues to earn high praise.

Lane Kiffin's portal success continues receiving media recognition

Kiffin's first LSU transfer portal haul sets the tone for 2026. LSU's portal class is ranked as the No. 1 class in the country by 247Sports, and now On3 is also giving Kiffin and the Tigers props. Pete Nakos of On3 has listed Kiffin and the Tigers as the top transfer portal winners for 2026.

Nakos notes that Kiffin hasn’t missed a beat since arriving at LSU in December, and LSU has given him the war chest to assemble the top portal class in the country. With Kiffin leading the way, LSU signed three of the top-5 players in the portal according to On3's transfer portal player rankings: QB Sam Leavitt, EDGE Princewill Umanmielen, and OT Jordan Seaton.

Those are the signature signings Tiger fans were looking for when Kiffin took over the program. But Kiffin has also made great signings to revamp the wide receiver room, bringing in Jayce Brown from Kansas State, Tre' Brown III from Old Dominion, Jackson Harris from Hawai'i, Eugene Wilson III from Florida, and Winston Watkins from Ole Miss. Other key portal additions include S Ty Benefield from Boise State, LB TJ Dottery from Ole Miss, and EDGE Jordan Ross from Tennessee.

With all of the high praise Kiffin and LSU are receiving, expectations are already sky high for his first season in Baton Rouge. With odds of +1300, LSU has the 7th-best odds on DraftKings Sportsbook to win the National Championship next season.