Sure, Brian Kelly completed his third year in Baton Rouge with a respectable 9-4 mark, closing it out with a bowl victory against Baylor, but the real news here is what the team just accomplished academically. For the first time in program history, LSU football had a 1000 single-year Academic Progress Rate (APR), a remarkable turnaround moment. Since coming to LSU, Brian Kelly has compiled a 29-11 overall record and a 17-7 record in the SEC, including winning bowl games each year. But it hasn’t been all sunshine and roses. Following a sizzling beginning to his term, national media picked up on last season’s 9-4 finish, viewing it as a regression.
ESPN has even dubbed 2025 a ‘College Football Playoff or Bust’ year for Brian Kelly, firmly placing him in the national spotlight as a coach to watch. But here’s where it gets fun—and perhaps a tad anxiety-provoking for LSU fans. The 2025 roster will look much, much different, thanks to Kelly’s proactive work on the transfer portal. And the 2025 schedule—it’s a gauntlet from the very first week. LSU starts on the road against Clemson, a team that’s never out of the playoff mix, and then returns home to face a difficult stretch featuring Florida and Ole Miss. The clock is ticking loud in Baton Rouge, LSU has ignited the countdown to its 2025 season opener.
In a move that perfectly captures the blend of intensity and tradition in Baton Rouge, the team placed 100 balloons in Brian Kelly’s office to mark 100 days until their first game (against Clemson). The video was posted as an Instagram reel. His entire office was a sea of yellow, red, blue, and other colours, with balloons bouncing off every desk, chair, and lamp. The captain read, “Gotta plan for the Elvis impersonator next time we surprise BK.” And, Kelly made it quite evident that he isn’t impressed with ‘Elvis Impersonator‘. The staff is busy hooting and recording his reaction, but Kelly? Well, you can tell he’s not exactly thrilled. He’s a good sport, but the whole Elvis thing is not his jam.
“I am 100 years old?” That was Coach Kelly’s initial response when he entered the room. The staff and players were laughing, and honestly, it’s just that kind of team bonding moment that makes the stress of being a blue-blooded SEC program a little easier to stomach. Everybody knows the Clemson opener is not like any other game—it’s a tone-setter, and the entire college football universe will be paying attention. “Now that’s thinking ahead of time, especially with the emphasis that we’re placing on the Clemson game,” says Kelly.
The Defensive anchor returns
After all the balloon fun and Elvis impersonators, reality check came crashing back to LSU camp this week with the most anticipated injury update. Everyone’s been holding their collective breath on All-SEC linebacker Whit Weeks, who was a tackling machine last season (guy had 125 tackles-more than Devin White’s Butkus Award campaign, mind you). The good news? “Whit Weeks is doing really well. I mean, he talked about yesterday; he was at full speed doing football drills. And more than anything, it’s just the fatigue standpoint — as far as the next day, you know, getting over that soreness just from using all those muscles and ligaments again.” DC, Blake Baker states in the After Further Review Podcast.
LSU’s defense, which was torched last season, can use Weeks buzzing around and making things happen. But that’s not all. The other blue-chip name everybody’s been following is Harold Perkins. Last season was challenging for Perkins—injuries, playing out of position, and never quite finding his sea legs. Now he’s healthy, back on the field, moving well as his rehab process continues, and infusing that electric energy. Baker essentially did what all LSU fans wanted to hear: Perkins is available to be a leader and a game-destroyer once again.
If those two men remain healthy, that’s a formidable linebacker combination for any SEC offense. And, there’s some additional encouraging news on the injury front, as well. Wes Weeks, Whit’s younger brother, had a quality spring after sitting out last year to heal from his injury. Throw in some transfer portal monsters such as Dominic McKinley and Ahmad Breaux on the D-line, and promising youngsters such as Davhon Keys and Dashawn Spears lighting it up this spring, and all of a sudden, this defense is a lot more fierce than it was last season.
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