There’s a new voice calling plays in Baton Rouge, and at least one major college football outlet thinks the move could pay off big time.
Saturday Down South’s Adam Spencer dropped his SEC football power rankings entering July 2026, and he slotted the LSU Tigers third in the conference.
That’s a bold placement entering the summer dead period and Spencer didn’t flinch in defending it.
“I know this is the team I’ll be hammered for being too high on, but I don’t care,” Spencer wrote. “I’m all in on Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers.”
That’s the kind of conviction that either ages beautifully or becomes the most-screenshotted sentence in October.
For now, though, the numbers and the logic Spencer laid out back up his thinking.
What Spencer sees in Kiffin’s Tigers
The first thing Spencer pointed to was the quarterback situation. He likes Sam Leavitt under center, viewing the signal-caller as a capable fit for what Kiffin wants to do offensively.
Leavitt didn’t exactly light the country on fire at his previous stop, but Kiffin has a history of getting the most out of quarterbacks who simply needed the right system around them.
The offensive line piece may be the most interesting part of this entire projection.
Spencer specifically called out the addition of Jordan Seaton from Colorado as “massive in more ways than one.”
Seaton is one of the more physically imposing offensive linemen in the transfer portal era, and if he anchors a unit that struggled in recent years, that alone changes LSU’s ceiling in 2026.
Spencer also highlighted the decision to keep Blake Baker as defensive coordinator. That’s a notable detail.
When a new head coach comes in, continuity on the defensive staff can be the difference between a unit that’s scrambling to learn a new system and one that can simply execute.
Baker staying in Baton Rouge signals that Kiffin isn’t trying to reinvent everything at once and Spencer views that as a major plus.
The run game, according to Spencer, should be improved as well.
That’s a loaded statement for a program that’s had its offensive identity questioned, and it suggests the pieces are in place for LSU to be a more balanced offense than what Tigers fans have seen recently.
The schedule isn’t a crutch
One of the more direct things Spencer said about LSU was that the schedule being difficult isn’t a valid reason to lower expectations.
“Yes, the schedule is tough, but there’s way too much money invested in this program to use that as an excuse,” he wrote. “It’s Playoff or bust in Baton Rouge.”
That’s a fair assessment of what the standard looks like at a program of LSU’s size and financial commitment.
The Tigers aren’t a rebuild, they’re a reload. With Kiffin’s track record as a proven offensive mind who’s elevated programs quickly, the expectations in Death Valley aren’t set low.
Spencer concluded his take on LSU by saying he thinks Kiffin will get the job done in Baton Rouge.
Coming from a publication that covers the SEC from every angle, that’s not a throwaway line.
Where the rest of the SEC stands
Spencer’s rankings place Texas at No. 1, citing Arch Manning, Cam Coleman and what he views as top-tier talent advantages over the rest of the conference.
Georgia is No. 2, riding back-to-back SEC titles under Kirby Smart but ultimately falling one spot behind the Longhorns in Spencer’s estimation.
LSU’s placement at No. 3 lands the Tigers ahead of every other SEC program.
That includes Ole Miss at No. 4, which retained most of its key pieces from the Playoff run under Pete Golding, and Texas A&M at No. 5, which rebuilt its offensive line in the offseason.
Alabama sits at No. 6 despite Spencer projecting the Crimson Tide as a Playoff team later in the year.
Spencer explained that power rankings reflect where teams stand today, not where they’ll finish and with open questions at quarterback, offensive line and linebacker, Tuscaloosa still has work to do heading into fall camp.
Bottom half carries its own storylines
It’s worth noting that while LSU’s placement is the headline, some of the most compelling narratives in Spencer’s rankings live in the middle and lower tiers.
Tennessee landed at No. 10 after losing starting QB Joey Aguilar’s eligibility battle and then seeing Penn State transfer edge rusher Chaz Coleman medically disqualified before the season even begins.
Arkansas sits at No. 16 in Spencer’s estimation — dead last in the conference — under first-year coach Ryan Silverfield.
That’s not a surprise given the Razorbacks went 0-8 in SEC play a year ago. Spencer acknowledged the Hogs should be improved.
Just not improved enough to escape the bottom just yet.
Spencer’s rankings won’t be the last word on where these programs finish, but they offer a useful early snapshot of a conference that, from top to bottom, looks like it’ll be the most competitive it’s been in years.
Key takeaways
- Saturday Down South’s Adam Spencer ranks LSU No. 3 in his pre-July SEC power rankings, calling Lane Kiffin’s arrival in Baton Rouge a Playoff-or-bust situation with the financial investment the program has made.
- The additions of Sam Leavitt at QB, Jordan Seaton on the offensive line from Colorado and the retention of defensive coordinator Blake Baker are the specific factors Spencer cited as reasons to believe in the Tigers heading into 2026.
- Texas sits at No. 1 overall, with Georgia at No. 2, while Arkansas lands last at No. 16 under first-year coach Ryan Silverfield as the program works to rebound from an 0-8 SEC record in 2025.