The waiting stops Saturday night.
LSU’s long, loud offseason finally turns into a football game, and it comes with about as big a stage as college football can offer.
No. 11 LSU opens the Lane Kiffin era against Clemson inside Tiger Stadium, with kickoff set for 6:49 p.m. on ABC.
Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe will handle the national broadcast while Chris Blair, Jacob Hester and Gordy Rush call the action on the LSU Sports Radio Network.
College GameDay rolls into Baton Rouge too, setting up on The Quad for the show’s 500th road broadcast. Grammy winner Lainey Wilson will serve as guest picker for the occasion.
Kiffin says he’s not taking the moment lightly after eight months of preparation.
“I’m humbled to be here as LSU’s head coach,” Kiffin said. “I don’t take that lightly. I hope the way that we’ve worked, the time we’ve put in, and the preparation we’ve done over these eight months is what people brought us here to do.”
A loaded roster ready to play
The Tigers built this roster to win right away, landing the nation’s top transfer class while keeping key pieces from a year ago.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt arrives from Arizona State carrying over 4,000 passing yards and 900 rushing yards, plus a 16-4 record as a starter.
Leavitt admits the setting will hit different once he steps on the field for the first time in Death Valley.
“I’m going to embrace the moment for a little bit because you’re not going to get many opportunities to play in Tiger Stadium at night,” Leavitt said. “So it’s going to be special. You definitely have to soak it in, and then you have to relock in and focus up.”
Running back is stacked with transfers Dillin Jones and Stacy Gage joining returners Harlem Berry and Caden Durham.
At receiver, LSU brings in Eugene Wilson III, Winston Watkins Jr., Jayce Brown and Malik Elzy alongside returners Trey’Dez Green and Phillip Wright III.
Up front, portal addition Jordan Seaton and returning center Braelin Moore anchor the line.
Defense and jersey honors
Blake Baker enters his third season running the defense, led by senior linebacker Whit Weeks and Boise State transfer safety Ty Benefield.
Linebacker TJ Dottery and edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen add fresh juice to the front seven, while DJ Pickett, PJ Woodland, Dashawn Spears and Tamarcus Cooley hold down the secondary.
Freshmen Deuce Geralds, Lamar Brown and Richard Anderson join returners Dominick McKinley and Dylan Carpenter along the defensive line.
Weeks and Green were handed the program’s No. 7 jersey last week, an honor given each year to a playmaker.
Moore received the No. 18, reserved for a team leader, marking just the second time an offensive lineman has worn it since national champion center Lloyd Cushenberry got it back in 2019.
Moore will still wear No. 61 on Saturdays with an No. 18 patch stitched onto his jersey.
Kiffin likes what the young additions bring to a roster full of proven transfers.
“All of them have a chance to play,” Kiffin said. “It’s really exciting in an age where people play older portal players.”
Clemson brings its own firepower
Clemson counters with quarterback Christopher Vizzina, who’s completed 64 of 105 passes for 596 yards with four touchdowns and one interception across 14 games and one career start.
Receivers Bryant Wesco Jr. and TJ Moore both led the Tigers in catches during last year’s meeting, and sophomore running back Gideon Davidson returns after piling up 260 yards on 60 carries.
Linebacker Sammy Brown leads Clemson’s defense after racking up 106 tackles, five sacks, a forced fumble and an interception in 2025.
Kiffin isn’t looking past a program with plenty of playoff pedigree.
“Really tough opponent in Clemson,” Kiffin said. “Very well coached and a veteran staff that have won a lot of games. Dabo is one of the best to ever do it. So this is a great matchup that we are excited to be a part of.”
LSU holds a 4-1 edge in the all-time series, including last season’s 17-10 road win over Clemson.
Saturday also marks the fourth straight year LSU’s opener will air nationally on ABC. After a summer of talk, the Tigers finally get to answer questions on the field.
