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LSU football is in the midst of one of the most program-altering offseasons in the school’s history, hiring Lane Kiffin away from Ole Miss, signing the No. 1 transfer portal class, and retaining its top-ranked defensive coordinator, Blake Baker.
ESPN’s SP+ rankings are an excellent way for Tiger fans to understand just how significant this offseason transformation really was. Before we take a look at just how much they improved, it’s important to first understand exactly what SP+ is.
SP+ is a rating system that considers four distinct factors: returning production, which reflects the contribution of returning players to a program; recent history, which assesses the overall health of the program based on recent performances; recent recruiting, which estimates the impact of a team’s high school and transfer portal recruiting; and coaching change effects, which gauge how much a coaching staff might improve if a new coach is hired or decline if a quality coach departs.
With that information, let’s look at where LSU ranked in ESPN’s latest SP+ rankings.
LSU ranks 10th in ESPN’s latest SP+ rankings, slotting in ahead of Alabama and just behind Texas A&M. Their 20.2 rating is 0.1 behind Texas A&M, so the margins are clearly slim between the Aggies and Tigers. LSU is the No. 4 SEC team according to SP+, behind Georgia (4), Texas (6), and Texas A&M (9).
These ratings consist of three distinct categories: offensive SP+, defensive SP+, and special teams SP+. The Tigers rank 21st in offensive SP+, an understandable rating given the complete overhaul the offense saw this offseason. They rank second in defensive SP+, an exciting rating, led in large part by a few significant portal additions on that side of the ball, along with their retaining Blake Baker. Special teams is a concern, according to SP+, coming in with the 53rd-ranked special teams SP+ rating.
Although this rating is lower than some LSU fans might have wanted to see, it’s a significant improvement from their position at the end of last season. The Tigers held the No. 32 SP+ rating after their disappointing 7-6 2025 campaign, with the 76th-ranked offense, 12th-ranked defense, and 53rd-ranked special teams unit.
Overall, these rankings confirm a few exciting things about the Tigers’ 2026 campaign. First, even with a lower-rated offense and special teams unit, they’re the No. 10 team in SP+ rankings. And their offense has such a relatively low projection largely due to their mismatched nature, as they’re replacing 7 or more starters on that side of the ball.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Where does LSU football land in the newest ESPN SP+ rankings?
Continue reading...
ESPN’s SP+ rankings are an excellent way for Tiger fans to understand just how significant this offseason transformation really was. Before we take a look at just how much they improved, it’s important to first understand exactly what SP+ is.
SP+ is a rating system that considers four distinct factors: returning production, which reflects the contribution of returning players to a program; recent history, which assesses the overall health of the program based on recent performances; recent recruiting, which estimates the impact of a team’s high school and transfer portal recruiting; and coaching change effects, which gauge how much a coaching staff might improve if a new coach is hired or decline if a quality coach departs.
With that information, let’s look at where LSU ranked in ESPN’s latest SP+ rankings.
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LSU ranks 10th in ESPN’s latest SP+ rankings, slotting in ahead of Alabama and just behind Texas A&M. Their 20.2 rating is 0.1 behind Texas A&M, so the margins are clearly slim between the Aggies and Tigers. LSU is the No. 4 SEC team according to SP+, behind Georgia (4), Texas (6), and Texas A&M (9).
These ratings consist of three distinct categories: offensive SP+, defensive SP+, and special teams SP+. The Tigers rank 21st in offensive SP+, an understandable rating given the complete overhaul the offense saw this offseason. They rank second in defensive SP+, an exciting rating, led in large part by a few significant portal additions on that side of the ball, along with their retaining Blake Baker. Special teams is a concern, according to SP+, coming in with the 53rd-ranked special teams SP+ rating.
Although this rating is lower than some LSU fans might have wanted to see, it’s a significant improvement from their position at the end of last season. The Tigers held the No. 32 SP+ rating after their disappointing 7-6 2025 campaign, with the 76th-ranked offense, 12th-ranked defense, and 53rd-ranked special teams unit.
Overall, these rankings confirm a few exciting things about the Tigers’ 2026 campaign. First, even with a lower-rated offense and special teams unit, they’re the No. 10 team in SP+ rankings. And their offense has such a relatively low projection largely due to their mismatched nature, as they’re replacing 7 or more starters on that side of the ball.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Where does LSU football land in the newest ESPN SP+ rankings?
Continue reading...
