Just when Lane Kiffin thought he was gaining momentum with LSU, misery struck him hard. After building a strong No. 1 transfer portal class for the 2026 season, Kiffin seemed all ready to take LSU to the playoffs this year, but one of the important edge players suffered a major injury during spring practice. Now, the fear of him missing the season is raising concerns for the team.

LSU gets bad news early in the offseason as Gabriel Reliford suffers a serious knee injury (torn ACL). This is very tough for him because he already missed most of the 2025 season due to a shoulder injury. Before getting hurt last year, he had only eight tackles and one tackle for loss. He did show good potential in his freshman year; he played in 13 games and recorded 10 tackles and half a sack. But now, it looks like he may miss his entire upcoming season as well.

This injury could not have come at a worse time. LSU now has a big problem in defense, especially at the edge rusher position. The team has already lost important players like Patrick Payton, Jack Pyburn, and Jimari Butler to the NFL. Now with Reliford also out, they have fewer players left, so their depth becomes weaker. On top of that, he was expected to be a key player in the defense alongside Princewill Umanmielen. But now that seems far from reality.

Before the injury, Reliford was becoming an important player for LSU’s defense. He has recorded 18 tackles, half a sack, and two tackles for loss in his career. Because of his performance, coaches and fans expect him to improve the team’s pass rush and play a bigger role this season. But after the injury, he cannot play and will have to stay on the sidelines while supporting his team.

This situation makes things harder for LSU. Now, there is no second transfer portal window after spring practice, so teams cannot bring in new players later to fix problems. Because of this, LSU has to depend only on the players they already have and the new players who will join in the summer. They do not have many options to replace someone if an injury happens. Lane Kiffin explains this in a simple way.

“Not having that second window, a lot of coaches fought for that,” Kiffin said. “I did say I’d back it when we were talking to the SEC coaches. But I was kind of in a unique spot where I was viewing it, and I said, ‘For the betterment of college football, definitely one window. was the way to go. Most of the coaches were adamant about it. But if you want to talk about making your roster the best, especially in the SEC, the two windows were better.”

Now, with Reliford’s unfortunate injury, teams out there are evaluating other options to fill the spot.

LSU is evaluating other options to fill Gabriel Reliford’s spot

With Gabriel Reliford injured, the team now has to quickly adjust and find someone else to take his place. One of the main players who can step up is Jordan Ross. He is a transfer player and is already getting most of the first-team practice reps, and this will probably continue. He was a five-star recruit when he joined Tennessee, so Lane Kiffin has high expectations for him.

Last year, he showed his talent, especially in the bowl game against Illinois, where he made six tackles, had half a tackle for loss, and pressured the quarterback once. He also got good experience in defense as he played 246 snaps. Now, other young players on the team might also get more playing time. One of the players, Jaylen Brown, has played at different SEC teams, but he has not played much in games so far.

Then there’s Damien Shanklin, who is in his second year and will try to improve and grow. Even freshman Trenton Henderson can gain more time. Another important player is Lamar Brown. He is a five-star freshman defensive end who will join the team in the summer. Even though he is not on campus yet, coaches believe he has big potential and can become a strong player.

Reliford’s injury doesn’t just hurt LSU’s depth, but also removes a player who was finally healthy and hungry after a lost season. Lane Kiffin has pieces to work with, but none of them are as proven as Reliford. So, for LSU’s edge room, the process just got a lot more urgent.