Serious Pressure Mounts on Brian Kelly as LSU Using Every Move to Avoid Collapse

Brian Kelly walked into Baton Rouge with a million-dollar smile, a fake Southern drawl, and promises of hanging banners. Now? He might just be hanging by a thread. As LSU barrels into the 2025 season, one brutal fact looms large: Kelly is 0-for-3 on season openers, 0-for-3 on playoff appearances, and teetering on the edge of losing the fanbase. That natty dream he sold when he landed? It’s collecting dust—and the Tigers faithful are running out of patience.

LSU didn’t hire Brian Kelly for three straight top-15 finishes. They hired him to win rings. Period. In 2023, he had a dream offense: Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers, and Brian Thomas Jr. Each one now cashing NFL checks, snagging touchdowns, and getting Rookie of the Year.

Daniels is lighting up defenses in Washington, Nabers is the only bright spot on the Giants, and Thomas has already made the Pro Bowl. And yet? That LSU team went 10-3. No playoff. No SEC title. Just a Heisman and a whole lot of what ifs. That was supposed to be the year. Instead, Kelly fumbled the bag—mostly on defense (which was bottom-tier).

What’s done is done.

The second-best year to win Natty is NOW. On June 27th, RJ Young hopped onto the Adapt & Respond podcast and kept it real about Brian Kelly’s playoff aspirations. He quoted an anonymous SEC coach who stated, “They have playoff expectations here, and it’s a better depth chart than he’s had in Baton Rouge. If they aren’t in the CFP, I think there’s some serious pressure here.” And Young then added his own thoughts, saying, “I think there’s something to that. I think LSU is trying to get back to the College Football Playoff in a real way for the first time since 2019.” Just like that, 2025 has become the redemption arc, or the beginning of the end.

Brian Kelly went all aggressive on the transfer portal, dropping about $13 million in NIL deals up front to lock in top talent before the July 1 deadline. After missing out on five-star QB Bryce Underwood to Michigan, the Tigers kicked things into overdrive, bumping their total NIL spending to around $18 million. Hauling in 18 new faces and locking in the No. 2-ranked portal class.

They didn’t just reload—they straight up went shopping with no budget and even brought players for depth positions. The biggest names: Wideout Nic Anderson comes from Oklahoma with 10 TDs to his name. Kentucky’s Barion Brown brings return-game magic. Trey’Dez Green—a 6’7” tight end built like a forward—looks like LSU’s new red zone cheat code. This roster is straight Madden.

On defense, they added legit firepower. Tamarcus Cooley (NC State), Mansoor Delane (Virginia Tech), Ja’Keem Jackson, and AJ Haulcy are all expected to start. Edge guys like Patrick Payton, Jack Pyburn, and Butler have over 200 tackles combined. This defense doesn’t just look better on paper—it looks like a total reset. LSU knows that another year with a leaky defense could tank everything.

But if we’re talking pressure, it all comes back to Garrett Nussmeier. The man turned down the NFL to run it back one more time in Death Valley. Last year, he posted 4,052 yards, 29 TDs, and 12 picks in 12 games. Solid. Now? He’s got Heisman odds second only to Arch Manning. Nussmeier knows what’s at stake. And his connection with OC Joe Sloan could be the biggest weapon they have. LSU doesn’t need Nuss to be a superhero—they just need him to finish what Jayden (defense fault though) couldn’t.

Even Brian Kelly himself isn’t sugarcoating it. “This is the best roster that we’ve put together,” he told Paul Finebaum during the SEC Spring Meetings. That’s not coach-speak. That’s Kelly laying his cards on the table. He’s banking everything on this year—because if it doesn’t click now, it probably never will. The floor isn’t another nine-win season. It’s making the playoff. Anything less, and LSU might be dialing up their next coaching search.

Garrett Nussmeier speaks on Brian Kelly’s kryptonite

It’s become a running joke in Baton Rouge, but nobody’s really laughing anymore: Brian Kelly just can’t win an opener. Since he took the reins, LSU is 0-3 in Week 1. Go back even further, and the Tigers have lost five of their last six openers. It’s a flat-out curse. And this year’s draw? Clemson. Yeah, good luck.

The Tigers (the purple and gold ones) are headed for a Death Valley showdown—but not their Death Valley. They’ll meet Dabo Swinney’s orange brigade in the opener, and that’s no cupcake. Clemson’s got ten future NFL guys and a defense that hits like a brick wall. Kelly needs this win. The fans need it. Garrett Nussmeier needs it more than anybody.

Nussmeier isn’t dodging it either. Talking with Pete Nakos of On3, he addressed the elephant in the room. “It’s still a little early to be scouting and things like that. I know our coaches have,” he said. “For us as a team, it’s more of having a 1-0 mindset. Not just about who we’re playing, but we’re preparing to win the first football game, no matter who we’re playing.”

That sounds simple, but it matters. LSU has made an art form of self-sabotage in Week 1. Whether it’s a blocked PAT, a second-half collapse, or defensive breakdowns, it’s always something. Nussmeier’s tone signals a new approach. Less hype. More execution. The Tigers have to get out of their own way.

And Nuss isn’t just riding for himself. He backed his head coach, too: “I fully believe in what he teaches and what he preaches. He does an unbelievable job with us. It’ll come to light this year. I can’t wait for people to see that.”

That’s big talk—but now it has to show up on the field. If LSU stumbles again out of the gate, the narrative writes itself. Another wasted roster. Another missed shot. And another Kelly meltdown. But if they handle Clemson? If they come out firing? The playoff push gets real. And Brian Kelly finally starts erasing that season-opening stain off his resume.