Lane Kiffin is off to a flying start at LSU, something that he couldn’t do at Ole Miss. After taking over the reins following Brian Kelly’s departure, one thing Kiffin addressed headfirst was recruiting and bringing in top talent. That pipeline became so solid that his latest five-star addition shows that his recruiting game is much better than it was at Oxford.
After locking down Ahmad Hudson, a four-star player from Ruston, Louisiana, to the 2027 class, Lane Kiffin added eight five-star players to his team for both the 2026 and 2027 classes. The numbers paint a clear picture. During his entire six-year tenure leading the Rebels, Kiffin managed to sign just three five-star recruits. In Baton Rouge, that script has flipped, as he’s building a foundational roster built to dominate the SEC.
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The list of players is WR Corey Barber, DL Lamar Brown, DL Richard Anderson, QB Sam Leavitt, Edge Princewill Umanmilelen, OT Jordan Seaton, and Edge Jaiden Bryant. Whereas he just signed three five-star players during his six years in Oxford.
At Ole Miss, financial constraints forced Lane Kiffin to find hidden gems, developing unranked players like Trinidad Chambliss into reliable SEC starters. He proved he could evaluate raw talent with just a $10 million NIL budget in 2025. Now, backed by LSU’s massive $25 million NIL war chest, he no longer has to settle for anything less than what he prefers. Kiffin is buying proven, top-tier difference-makers ahead of his maiden campaign with the Tigers.
Then comes in Lane Kiffin’s next milestone, and that’s building a No. 1 transfer portal at LSU in his very first season. But when he was there at Ole Miss, it was not the case, yet his portal class was always among the top ten. Also, let’s not forget that Kiffin also built a playoff contender team, which even beat a strong team like Georgia. That’s the kind of success that LSU saw and brought in Kiffin, paying such a high price. Now. If he really wants to surpass his success at Ole Miss, he has to take LSU to the playoffs and win the national title. But for now, Lane Kiffin is focusing just on adding more players.
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Lane Kiffin is targeting another blue-chip player
Lane Kiffin is working hard to bring in major five-star talent to the team. Another major target is cornerback Joshua Dobson, who is from North Carolina and is ranked as the No. 2 player at his position. Kiffin and his staff are working closely to bring him to their team. They even invited him to visit LSU, where he met the coaches and saw the program.
LSU is making a strong effort to sign him, but it is difficult. Many big schools like Texas A&M, South Carolina, Clemson, Auburn, Tennessee, Texas, and Notre Dame are also trying to get him. But for now, Lane Kiffin and his team have solid momentum.
“LSU also feels great about its chances at landing cornerback Joshua Dobson,” as per 247Sports.
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Apart from him, Lane Kiffin is putting in a lot of effort to flip five-star WR Easton Royal from Texas. He had already committed to Texas in November and has stayed with that decision for about five months. But he has not fully shut down his recruitment, which means other schools can still try to get him. But Kiffin is working hard to change his mind. They keep talking to him and showing strong interest.
They have invited him to visit their campus many times. He even came back recently with his mother, which shows he is still considering LSU. With so many talents aligned, it will be interesting to see if any of them make their way to Baton Rouge.
The post Latest 5-Star Commitment Proves Lane Kiffin has Done More for LSU in Six Months Than in Six Years at Ole Miss appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
