ESPN College Football Future Power Rankings Through 2027

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg released College Football Future Power Rankings for every Power 4 through the 2027 season.

LSU was ranked No. 8.

The teams were evaluated in the following categories:

-Quarterback situation
-Offensive line/defensive line outlook
-Roster management
-Star power (All-Americans, national award contenders, all-conference contenders)
Coaching staff

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8. LSU Tigers
Previous future power ranking: 8

QB situation: Following a prolonged courtship, LSU landed Arizona State transfer Sam Leavitt, who helped the Sun Devils to a Big 12 title and their first CFP appearance in 2024 before an injury-shortened 2025. Leavitt entered last season as an NFL prospect and has 36 career touchdowns and only 11 interceptions. He has junior eligibility, but LSU also added USC transfer Husan Longstreet, a top-50 recruit in 2025, and Elon transfer Landen Clark.

Offensive line/defensive line outlook: LSU's defensive line will look different this fall with several transfers joining returning tackle Dominick McKinley, a junior who started two games in 2025. Talented senior end Princewill Umanmielen came with the staff from Ole Miss after recording nine sacks in 2025, and fellow SEC transfers Jordan Ross (Tennessee) and Malik Blocton (Auburn) fill out the group, along with non-seniors such as Dylan Carpenter. The offensive line struggled last season but still returns solid players such as center Braelin Moore and versatile senior Bo Bordelon. LSU made a major splash with Colorado tackle Jordan Seaton, a former top-20 recruit with 22 career starts, and Maryland guard Aliou Bah.

Roster management: The school's offseason spending spree included hiring coach Lane Kiffin and an ambitious portal push that produced ESPN's No. 1 portal class. According to ESPN Recruiting, LSU added 13 blue-chip transfers, nearly double the amount of the next closest teams (Texas and Ole Miss with seven). Transfers included Umanmielen and others from Ole Miss, as well as Leavitt, Seaton, Ross, Boise State safety Ty Benefield and a wide receiver group that included Jayce Brown (Kansas State), Eugene Wilson III (Florida) and Tre Brown (Old Dominion). LSU lost offensive linemen Carius Curne and Ory Williams, who both started some games in 2025, to SEC competitors, but the outgoing transfer group wasn't overly damaging. LSU retained linebacker Whit Weeks, tight end Trey'Dez Green and several defensive backs, and Kiffin secured the No. 12 recruiting class, keeping defensive lineman Lamar Brown, the nation's top-rated prospect. The Tigers need to do better with retention, having lost 17 blue-chip recruits between 2024 and 2025.

Star power: Among the returnees, Green earned second-team All-SEC honors in 2025 with seven touchdown catches. He can play through 2027. Weeks, a first-team All-SEC selection in 2024, is healthy after being limited by a leg injury last fall. LSU's biggest stars could come from the portal with Leavitt, Umanmielen, Seaton and others contending for national honors.

Coaching staff: LSU swung big and landed its target in Kiffin, who helped Ole Miss to its first CFP appearance and brings over several talented assistants from Oxford, including offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., co-OC Joe Cox and Chris Kiffin (Lane's brother), who will serve as co-defensive coordinator. Lane Kiffin also retained defensive coordinator Blake Baker, the nation's highest-paid assistant, and recently hired former LSU coach Ed Orgeron to the staff.

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