LSU’s offseason blueprint has been loud and clear: stack the defense, fortify the back end, and plug the gaps that plagued the Tigers in 2024. With another reload underway, HC Brian Kelly has been active in the portal, aggressively targeting the secondary and DT spots. The Tigers added NC State transfer Tamarcus Cooley to the safety room, but questions about depth continue to loom like summer humidity in Baton Rouge. The moves are strategic, no doubt, but they also carry an undercurrent of urgency—because for Brian Kelly, 2025 isn’t just another season. It’s the season.
That sense of urgency isn’t just media-driven noise. Mike Bratton, host of That SEC Podcast, brought it into sharper focus in a recent appearance on On Texas Football. “I mean, I think he’s firmly on the hot seat right now. I mean, I think it’s playoff or bust. And that’s incredible to say when he got down there and got handed a guaranteed $100 million contract,” Bratton said. He’s not wrong. LSU didn’t hand Brian Kelly a ten-figure parachute to flirt with third place in the SEC West. They brought him to Death Valley to bring back trophies. And three seasons in, patience is thinning, especially with his old school looking more like a playoff contender than his current one.
Bratton didn’t stop there. “But he also said, ‘Hey, well, after he said family,’ he said, ‘I’m down here to win a championship.’ And last I checked, the guy that replaced him at his old school is seemingly closer than he is. I mean, that should be inexcusable.” That’s the knife twist. Marcus Freeman, Kelly’s successor at Notre Dame, has generated momentum. Meanwhile, LSU—historically a program that wins titles with multiple coaches—feels stuck in neutral. “And LSU has won multiple national championships with multiple coaches. So it’s not the coaches down there, it’s the program. At least that’s what it’s turned into,” Bratton added. In other words, Kelly doesn’t get the grace period others might. This is LSU. The bar is a crystal football.
That’s why Bratton’s next take hit even harder. “I think it’s fair to say—I’m not saying Brian Kelly’s better than Nick Saban, obviously you’d be a fool if you said that. But I think his resume from day one when he got to LSU was vastly superior than what Nick Saban’s resume was when he got to LSU. So there he’s out of excuses. They’ve got to be better.” That kind of blunt historical comparison drives home the stakes. Nick Saban arrived in Baton Rouge in 2000 as a rising talent; Kelly arrived as a proven winner. Yet Saban delivered a national title in four years. Brian Kelly hasn’t made it past the New Year’s Six. When viewed through that lens, the pressure cooker tightens.
Brian Kelly told @RabalaisAdv that Weston Davis is “probably” going to start at right tackle.
More from Kelly on the position and a quiet spring portal window so far for LSU:https://t.co/gB54F3qiWR
— Wilson Alexander (@whalexander_) April 23, 2025
The runway isn’t getting longer either. LSU opens its 2025 campaign with a statement game—on the road at Clemson. It’s a showdown between Tigers in opposing Death Valleys, and one with serious consequences. Kelly has never won a season opener at LSU. Dropping another, especially on national television against a fellow blueblood, would set the wrong tone before SEC play even kicks off. Add in the fact that LSU is replacing multiple impact players from the 2024 squad, and Kelly finds himself balancing transition with expectation.
To his credit, Kelly isn’t sitting idle. During the winter transfer window, LSU reeled in 16 newcomers and ranked No. 1 nationally in portal haul quality. It’s an impressive feat and reflects a clear emphasis on immediate impact. But building a roster is only half the battle. Scheme, development, and leadership must follow.
LSU’s O-Line makeover enters crunch time
Brian Kelly and the Tigers are deep in the lab this offseason, cooking up a new-look offensive line as they gear up for a pivotal 2025 campaign. With four starters from the 2024 squad now off the depth chart, there’s a big ol’ hole to fill—and fast.
Spring Camp gave us our first taste of what this revamped front five could look like. Redshirt sophomore DJ Chester is the lone returning starter, anchoring the group at center and bringing some much-needed experience. Around him, the first-team mix featured Tyree Adams at left tackle, Paul Mubenga at left guard, Coen Echols on the right side, and Weston Davis locking down right tackle.
The second unit wasn’t short on talent either, with Carius Curne, Ory Williams, Braelin Moore, Bo Bordelon, and Josh Thompson rounding out the rotation. It’s clear that the Tigers are throwing every possible combo at the wall to see what sticks.
“Paul (Mubenga), DJ (Chester), Coen Echols, you know, obviously (Josh) Thompson, those four guys in particular, (Bo) Bordelon, five. We’ve got five, six guys that can compete in there and help us win. We’re just going to have to find out what the right combination is,” Kelly said last Saturday. LSU’s O-line puzzle isn’t solved yet—but the pieces are definitely on the table.
The post Brian Kelly on Hot Seat as Blunt Nick Saban Revelation Puts Pressure on $61M Safety Net appeared first on EssentiallySports.
