After firing Brian Kelly midseason, LSU broke open the vault and lured Lane Kiffin southeast from Oxford to coach the Tigers. Much will be expected from Kiffin, who has a lot to prove as a head coach, and part of the deal was to open the checkbook and bring in transfers via NIL deals. The LSU depth chart is full of homegrown talent that was on the roster before Kiffin’s arrival, as well as new faces who transferred in.

The LSU program has a history of producing great receivers, yet there are no top-rated players at the position on the board. There are plenty highly rated players from both sides of the ball and several first-round prospects.

I grade Colorado transfer Jordan Seaton much higher than the scouts I’ve spoken with, as I believe he’s a natural left tackle prospect with great upside. Seaton is big, athletic, and very fluid. He blocks with tremendous fundamentals, stands out in pass protection, and shows a lot of ability blocking in motion. He needs to improve his run-blocking strength, yet if he builds on his terrific campaign from 2025, Seaton will be an early first-round pick.

Consensus in the scouting community is that Trey’Dez Green grades not only as the best prospect on the LSU roster, but the best tight end in the nation and one of the highest-rated players overall. Green’s 6-6.5 frame and athleticism mirror an NBA power forward, a rare mismatch for a tight end. He’s a terrific pass catcher who creates mismatches with his frame that goes 6-foot-6.5, and his 40-yard dash is estimated at 4.55 seconds. Green is also a terrific blocker, and like Seaton, his upside is insane.

Dominick McKinley is an explosive, disruptive defensive tackle. McKinley has a great first step, moves well around the field, and shows speed bearing down on opposing quarterbacks or chasing the action in space. He’s fundamentally sound and uses his hands incredibly well. McKinley needs to improve his strength at the point, yet he has a long frame and plenty of growth potential.

After an injury-plagued 2025 campaign at Arizona State, quarterback Sam Leavitt takes his game to LSU. There’s a lot to like about Leavitt, as he’s smart, accurate, and moves the offense down the field. He shows the ability to place throws and stay away from mental errors. Leavitt is also on the smaller side, measuring under 6-foot-2 and less than 215 pounds, struggles holding up against the rush, and lacks a big-time arm. In what looks like a crowded quarterback class next April, Leavitt will need strong showings at the Shrine, Senior Bowl, and combine to reach the second round.

Scouts really like safety Ty Benefield, who transferred from Boise State, but underclassmen Tamarcus Cooley and PJ Woodland grade higher on my board. Cooley is a devastating run defender who shows a lot of ball skills from his safety position. He’s not a true center fielder; rather, he’s a terrific prospect at strong safety or as a two-deep safety.

Cooley has terrific upside, as does Woodland, who was used at nickel and outside cornerback for LSU last season. Woodland possesses terrific ball skills but had coverage lapses last season. He should be rated higher, yet he had his fair share of lapses last season that led to busted plays. Specifically, Woodland seemed to struggle transitioning to run downfield with receivers, which led to big plays for the opposition. If he cleans that up, he’ll jump up draft boards.