Picking LSU football's X-factor at every position in 2026
· Yahoo Sports
LSU football's roster has a ton of new faces in 2026. Head coach Lane Kiffin went all-in on the transfer portal. He earned the reputation of "Portal King" at Ole Miss for a reason.
LSU's 2025 season didn't go as planned, resulting in the firing of head coach Brian Kelly and the entire offensive staff. LSU was expected to compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff and began the season ranked in the top-10, but LSU's offense wasn't up to the task and the Tigers sputtered in October.
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A handful of players from the 2025 hit the roster. LSU wanted to keep some of those departures, but most of the players who left were ones that the Kiffin staff didn't have much interest in retaining. The staff flipped the roster.
Even though it's Kiffin's first year, LSU will be expected to fight for a playoff spot. This roster is among the most expensive in the sport with several transfers ready to make an immediate impact.
Today, we'll look at how LSU can get to the playoff by looking at one X-factor in every position group.
Quarterback -- Sam Leavitt
This one goes without saying. Leavitt is the most important player for LSU's chances of making the College Football Playoff in 2026. Kiffin's teams tend to have an offensive identity and that doesn't work without stellar quarterback play. Kiffin and OC Charlie Weis Jr will do everything they can to build the system around Leavitt, but the veteran passer still has to execute.
Leavitt led a team to the playoff before, taking Arizona State there in 2024. He knows what it takes to go on a run.
There are some injury concerns with Leavitt recovering from foot surgery, but he has all the physical tools to play in the SEC. He's got a strong arm and can make plays with his legs. LSU paid a heavy price to get Leavitt to Baton Rouge and if he lives up to the price tag, it means LSU had a good year.
Running Back -- Harlem Berry
Harlem Berry is one of the most talented players on LSU's roster. The five-star running back from New Orleans was a true freshman in 2025, and when he got the chance, he put that talent on display.
Berry ran the ball 104 times for 481 yards and averaged 3.53 yards after contact. He's explosive and ten of his rushes went for 10+ yards.
With a year of experience under his belt, Berry is ready to take the next step. Running backs usually floruish in the Lane Kiffin offense and the new staff made retaining Berry a priority. That signals some big plans for the sophomore running back in 2026. After two years of struggling to run the ball, LSU is hoping the ground game gets back to its ways of old.
Eugene Wilson -- Wide Receiver
Jayce Brown was LSU's top-ranked transfer wide receiver and I have few doubts about what Brown will do in this offense, but Wilson is the leverage point that can elevate the receiver room to another level. The Florida transfer brings three years of SEC experience to Baton Rouge and when he's been healthy, he's been productive.
He caught 61 passes for 544 yards and six touchdowns as a true freshman, but injuries got the best of Wilson in 2024. In 2025, he caught 27 passes and scored three touchdowns.
Wilson is a polished receiver who can bring a veteran presence to this wide receiver room. The Tigers have plenty of big-play threats, but this offense needs a reliable third-down target who can operate in the slot. If Wilson fills that role, the ceiling for the unit is high.
Tight end -- Trey'Dez Green
This one wasn't hard to pick. Green is on the verge of a breakout.
The five-star worked sparingly in 2024, but in 2025, was a focal point of LSU's offense. Standing at 6-foot-7, Green is a mismatch for anyone on the field. He caught 33 passes for 433 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025 and the ceiling is only higher this fall.
Kiffin and Weis know how to get the ball to their playmakers and I expect Green to see a bevy of targets in Kiffin's first year.
Offensive line -- Braelin Moore
Jordan Seaton, the highly coveted transfer, will get most of the hype at left tackle, but the return of center Braelin Moore was huge for this unit.
Moore was a member of LSU's 2025 transfer class after begining his career at Virginia Tech. He had an up-and-down year as he dealt with a lingering ankle injury, but when Moore was on, he was a really good interior offensive lineman.
LSU has question marks at the guard spots, making Moore's job that much more important. With a productive year at center, Moore can alleviate some pressure for the spots with more questions.
Defensive Line -- Richard Anderson and Lamar Brown
LSU's interior defensive line should be solid in 2026. The Tigers added some veteran transfers and return five-star Dominick McKinley. But the room can be next-level with the emergence of a talented true freshman. Lamar Brown and Richard Anderson were two of the best DTs in the 2026 recruiting class and both have a chance to play right away.
Brown's athletic ability is freakish and Anderson already has SEC-ready size. If Anderson and Brown are ready to play right away, this defensive line will be one of the deepest in the SEC.
Linebacker -- Davhon Keys
Whit Weeks and TJ Dottery will be LSU's starting middle linebackers, but the Tigers need depth at the position. Dottery is a veteran and has big game experience, but he was inconsistent with the Rebels in 2025. Weeks is elite when he's on the field, but he struggled with an injury down the stretch last season. LSU will need Davhn Keys to perform at some point.
Keys saw time as a true freshman in 2024. As a sophomore in 2025, he played 572 defensive snaps, totaled 15 pressures, 1 sack, 53 solo tackles, and 20 stops. It was a solid year for the young linebacker. Keys doesn't have sideline-to-sideline speed, but he's strong enough to take on pulling guards and fit the run. He could end up as LSU's best run defender in the box this fall.
Cornerback -- Ja'Keem Jackson
Picking DJ Pickett or PJ Woodland would have been too easy for this slot. Pickett and Woodland have star potential and project to be two of the best corners in the SEC. I feel good about them. But LSU needs a third corner to emerge.
Ja'Keem Jackson is a strong candidate. Jackson originally signed with Florida before transferring to LSU, following secondary coach Corey Raymond. Jackson dealt with an injury in 2024 and didn't see the field much in 2025, but he stuck around. Jackson's choice to remain at LSU signals that one, this staff wanted him, and two, he sees a future at LSU. That's a good sign for 2026.
Safety -- Ty Benefield
LSU is losing AJ Haulcy to the NFL, but the Tigers' safety room looks strong. The addition of Boise State transfer Ty Benefield is a big reason why. Benefield brings a wealth of experience to LSU's secondary and was a member of a College Football Playoff team in 2025.
Benefield can play in the box and has the athletic tools to win in coverage. LSU DC Blake Baker values flexibility at the safety position and the addition of Benefield will keep the entire playbook open in 2026.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Picking LSU football's X-factor at every position in 2026