The early recruiting trend for Lane Kiffin at LSU that angers Ole Miss fans even more

After the Brian Kelly era ended in major disappointment, the Lane Kiffin era is off to a blazing start for the LSU Football program. Kiffin has wasted no time in revamping LSU's roster in preparation for his first season in Baton Rouge.

Garrett Nussmeier makes it clear he has full confidence in Lane Kiffin

First, Kiffin signed 14 players during the Early Signing Period. Then, he retained several impact players such as TE Trey'Dez Green, RB Caden Durham, LB Whit Weeks, and RB Harlem Berry. Then, "The Portal King" signed 40 players through the transfer portal, including several top names on the market.

During his introductory press conference, Kiffin stated that signing the best class possible is his No. 1 priority. The early moves he has made in LSU's roster construction have Tiger fans fired up, and showcase an early recruiting trend for Kiffin and the Tigers that angers Ole Miss fans even more.

Lane Kiffin's 5-star success rubs salt in the wound for Ole Miss fans

Kiffin has been on the job in Baton Rouge for less than two months. Yet, he has already signed double the amount of 5-star players than he did in six years at Ole Miss. More specifically, Kiffin has inked six 5-star players at LSU while signing just three during his time in Oxford.

5-star players Kiffin has brought to Baton Rouge include three incoming freshmen: DL Lamar Brown, DL Richard Anderson, and WR Corey Barber. Brown and Richardson originally committed to Kelly and his staff, but Kiffin was able to keep them on board. Barber was originally committed to Ole Miss, but Kiffin flipped him from Ole Miss to LSU shortly after he got the LSU job.

Kiffin grabbed three other 5-star players via the transfer portal: QB Sam Leavitt, EDGE Princewill Umanmielen, and OT Jordan Seaton. Those additions give Kiffin and LSU three of the top-5 players in the portal according to On3's transfer portal player rankings. That makes six 5-star signings for Kiffin so far at LSU, with two of them coming from Ole Miss.

Kiffin's impressive portal haul gives LSU fans high hopes for 2026

Leavitt is the signature portal signing Tiger fans were looking for, as LSU was left without any scholarship quarterbacks on the roster following the departures of Michael Van Buren and Colin Hurley to the portal. Leavitt was ranked as the top overall player in the portal by On3, and is already among the Heisman favorites for 2026.

Kiffin was able to nab Umanmielen from Ole Miss last week in a move that took LSU's portal class to another level. Umanmielen was named to the All-SEC Third Team in 2025, and is one of the most dynamic pass rushers in the SEC. The 6’5" 245-pound EDGE racked up a team-leading 9.0 sacks and 45 tackles with the Rebels this past season.

The icing on the cake was the Jordan Seaton signing. LSU's offensive line struggled mightily in 2025, and while Kiffin has made moves to improve that group, no signing is more impactful than Seaton. He is arguably the best pass-blocker in the country, and is projected to be a future First Round draft pick. Seaton serves as the perfect protector for Leavitt, and gives the LSU offense a much higher ceiling heading into 2026.

Kiffin's work isn't going unnoticed, as LSU's portal class is ranked No. 1 in the country by 247Sports. While LSU fans are loving it, the frustration continues to grow for Ole Miss fans.