Brian Kelly is all in, and the stakes have never been higher in Baton Rouge. This is Kelly’s moment, and he knows it. After two seasons of promise and frustration, he enters 2025 with the best roster he’s ever had at LSU. Elite recruits, a stacked transfer class, and a quarterback in Garrett Nussmeier who’s buzzing with No. 1 overall pick potential. It’s the type of roster that past LSU Tigers coaches turned into national championships. But with no playoff appearances to show for it yet, the window might be closing faster than expected.

It’s not just fans raising the temperature. Former college football star and analyst Adam Breneman put it on the table with no filter. “Kelly just wrote a $1 million NIL check. Now that means he has to win. He was matching up to $1 million in NIL donations for his school. This is his most talented roster since he’s been in Baton Rouge. They just beat out Miami for All-Big 12 safety AJ Holsey and added elite transfers at every level. And he still hasn’t made the College Football Playoff during his time at LSU.” The words land with weight. The bar at LSU isn’t high—it’s absolute. You win titles, or you don’t last.

“The reality is, at LSU, 29 wins in three years is not enough, the three guys before him all won national titles. Right now, Brian Kelly’s trophy case has a Citrus Bowl and a Texas Bowl. Again, not going to cut it.” The punchline? LSU has all the tools—so if not now, when? “Garrett Nussmeier, their quarterback, could be the number one overall pick in 2026. This team is loaded with dudes ready to win now,” Breneman said. And he’s not wrong.

Nussmeier has the arm, the swagger, and the scheme to put up eye-popping numbers in 2025. The Tigers have the deepest skill position group in years, bolstered by plug-and-play transfers and proven returners. Defensively, Holsey brings immediate bite to a secondary that lacked closing speed last fall. Across the board, this team has star power and depth. The kind that separates playoff contenders from New Year’s Day consolation prizes.

The recruiting metrics paint the picture just as boldly. LSU didn’t just improve—they dominated. The Tigers topped the 2025 transfer portal rankings with 18 commitments and paired it with the No. 10 recruiting class nationally. That haul included two five-star and 19 four-star signees, showcasing Brian Kelly’s aggressive strategy to blend youth and experience. LSU didn’t patch holes—they overhauled. And with the SEC growing fiercer by the minute, this level of roster engineering isn’t a luxury—it’s survival.

Still, for all the paper accolades, there’s one stat that looms large: Brian Kelly is winless in his opening games at LSU. Florida State twice. USC once. That kind of slow start doesn’t just hurt playoff hopes—it crushes momentum. The Tigers need to open fast in 2025, or this golden roster may quickly become a cautionary tale. There’s no question LSU is hyped, loaded, and expected to contend. But in Baton Rouge, hype without hardware is nothing more than noise.

Hot seat pressure mounts on Brian Kelly again

Brian Kelly’s time in Baton Rouge hasn’t exactly set the world on fire—and folks are starting to take notice. While the Tigers have plenty of potential, one analyst thinks it’s time for Kelly to show more than just flashes.

During a recent appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show, 247Sports analyst Brad Crawford didn’t hold back on what Kelly needs to prove in 2025. “Brian Kelly hit the mark. He knows this, on paper, is the best roster he’s had,” Crawford pointed out. But he also warned LSU fans not to get carried away. “For me, LSU’s big thing this summer has been ‘Don’t buy into the hype. Don’t read the press clippings. Don’t watch The Paul Finebaum Show.'”

That’s easier said than done with a stacked lineup and high expectations. LSU is sitting at No. 6 in ESPN’s latest way-too-early college football rankings, and fans are buzzing about quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. “With [quarterback] Garrett Nussmeier, a guy I think will be the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft,” Crawford added.

Still, history isn’t exactly on LSU’s side—they haven’t won a season opener in five years. 2025 has broken many curses around the globe; Kelly would be hoping for the same.