With SEC Media Days wrapped up, one team that’s turning heads is the LSU Tigers. Yup, the buzz in Baton Rouge is loud, and the hype heading into 2025 is off the charts. But with that comes pressure, and it’s squarely on Brian Kelly’s shoulders. Now in his fourth year, Kelly boasts a 29-11 record. Although he made a splash early, leading LSU to the SEC title game in Year 1. But the magic hasn’t returned since. Two years without a championship shot have fans restless. And in 2025, it’s boom or bust for Brian Kelly. Even CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford thinks 2025 will be the year Brian Kelly breaks through.

He’s calling for LSU to make another SEC Title run,  and punch a ticket to the CFP. “We’ve been high on the Tigers since February. The SEC Media Days hype — while refreshing — is just another summer drink in Baton Rouge,” wrote Crawford. Now, with full backing from fans and boosters, Kelly’s gone all-in. He’s got what looks like his best roster yet, and a massive showdown with Clemson to kick things off. So, the stakes? Sky high, and Kelly knows it. Given all that, another wave of good news might be just around the corner. On the July 17th episode of George Wrighster’s CFB Podcast, the SEC preseason rankings took center stage, and LSU got a major nod.

Brian Kelly’s squad earned a strong grade, with Wrighster placing the Tigers at No. 2 in his rankings. “I got to be honest, I got talked into this. I talked to a lot of people, and they believed that LSU will finally take a big step forward defensively, and so I finally conceded. I looked at the roster, looked at the transfer portal. I don’t love that they went all in on the transfer portal in Brian Kelly’s fourth year there. You should be able to rely on high school recruiting for the most part at that point in time, but we’ll see if that strategy works,” said George. It’s a high praise, but also high expectations. And George Wrighster didn’t just rank LSU No. 2 for nothing.

He backed it up with reasons that make the Tigers a serious threat in 2025. On his podcast, he pointed to the program’s aggressive offseason moves, calling LSU both a top SEC contender and a legit CFP pick. “Now, I do have LSU because of that as one of my top SEC teams, as well as a College Football Playoff participant, and they’re paying their defensive coordinator, Blake Baker, $2.5 million to get that defense to a point where it’s not giving up 35 points a game to ranked opponents….

“But a bright spot, their quarterback, Garrett Nussmeier. Dude threw for 4,000 yards last year. And with Nick and Aaron Anderson at wide receiver, he might eclipse that, which would be crazy. And with Kaden Durham at running back, this offense really is deadly in all facets,” said George. In Short: Between a retooled defense, serious offensive firepower, and a rising star at QB, Wrighster sees LSU as more than just hype; he sees a team built to contend. And honestly, it has to be, because LSU’s schedule is brutal, as per George.

There are no off weeks in the SEC. Well, the Tigers will go up against some of the conference’s best defenses, or at least ones expected to take a major leap — South Carolina, Florida, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Alabama all loom large. Oh, and they open the season against George Wrighster’s No. 1 team: Clemson. So yes, the offense better be elite. Because the real question mark? Still the defense. But don’t worry.

We know, the pressure is real, but so is the talent. LSU gets star linebacker Harold Perkins back from injury, pairs him with Whit Weeks, and bolsters the defensive line with transfers Patrick Payton and Jack Pyburn. This isn’t a rebuild; it’s a loaded roster with no excuses left. So, year 4 for Brian Kelly isn’t just about progress, it’s about payoff. And as George Wrighster put it, he’s picking the Tigers to finally smash through the ceiling and rise into the stratosphere of greatness. Now, while Brian Kelly’s College Football Playoff dream looks brighter than ever, it’s LSU’s transfer portal success that’s really turning heads.

The LSU Tigers’ most impressive move so far

Brian Kelly knew coaching alone wouldn’t cut it at LSU—not in today’s CFB world. The Tigers had everything but one thing: NIL power. Just a year ago, LSU’s transfer class ranked No. 43 nationally. The program couldn’t keep pace with CFB’s biggest spenders. But 2025 brought a total shift. Following the House v. NCAA settlement, LSU ramped up its NIL game — big time. The result? A No. 2 transfer class (per 247Sports) and No. 2 (per On3). Well, according to On3’s Pete Nakos, the jump came from a major increase in budget, signaling a new era of aggressive roster building in Baton Rouge.

LSU didn’t crack the top 10 in spending, but the leap they made was massive. According to Nakos, the Tigers’ NIL budget tripled over the past year, now pushing close to $20 million. That kind of firepower made a difference. In the 2025 transfer cycle, LSU brought in 18 new faces — 11 of them four-stars, per On3. It was a total roster overhaul, both in quality and quantity. So, in today’s game, talent costs. And LSU proved they’re ready to pay the price to compete at the highest level.