College Football

CFB Top 50, #7: 2025 LSU Tigers

by
Bracket Yard
August 16, 2025

With just a week left until college football kicks off, the 2025 LSU Tigers sit at seven on the CFB Top 50 countdown.

LSU had a season in 2024 that, by LSU standards, was good, maybe not great. There are a whole lot of teams that would take a nine-win season seven days a week and twice on Fall Saturdays, but the bar is generally set a little higher in Baton Rouge. Even though last year’s team finished the season unranked, the 2025 squad is getting a lot of preseason attention. We have it in the top ten, as does the preseason coaches poll, at ninth. What has changed with the Tigers, and why are people so high on them this season?

2025 LSU Tigers Basic Facts

Head Coach: Brian Kelly (4th season)

2025 Conference: Southeastern Conference (SEC)

2024 Record: 9-4 (5-3), 9th in SEC

Final Resolution of Last Season: Won Texas Bowl

2024 Scoring Offensive Rank: T-47th (30.5)

2024 Scoring Defensive Rank: 59th (24.3)

LSU Key Additions and Subtractions

IN – Nic Anderson, wide receiver. Transferred from Oklahoma.

IN – Barion Brown, wide receiver. Transferred from Kentucky.

IN – Jack Pyburn, defensive end. Transferred from Florida.

OUT – Will Campbell, offensive lineman. Drafted fourth overall by New England in 2025 Draft.

OUT – Mason Taylor, tight end. Drafted by NY Jets in 2nd round of 2025 Draft.

Best Game on the Schedule in 2025

October 25 vs. Texas A&M. The Aggies look like a good team heading into 2025 play, and unlike the series against Alabama (which has in the past delivered some memorable games), this one in recent seasons has been more even. It has been almost a decade since the last time a team won back-to-back games against the other. No need to expect this one to go seven overtimes, however.

2025 LSU Tigers: Outlook

LSU had seven players scooped up in the 2025 Draft earlier this year. Only a handful of teams (ahead of LSU on this list) had more. One of them was not Garrett Nussmeier, the quarterback who is back for one more go. He became LSU’s starting quarterback last season, and though the interceptions were a little high, he did throw 29 touchdown passes, which makes the stat line look better. What makes it look a lot better was the 4,000 passing yards. LSU threw the ball a lot last season, so the 12 picks are almost forgivable. Nussmeier had the second-most pass attempts in FBS in 2024. You can imagine that they are going to stick with that this year.

So, why are people so high on LSU this season, anyway? Look at their transfer class: They poached players from some pretty good programs, and several of them were wide receivers. LSU already had a strong passing game, and now it has the potential to be explosive. Do not be surprised at all to see Nussmeier on Heisman watch lists; in fact, be surprised if you do not. That right there, plus some favorable additions to the defense, make Brian Kelly’s LSU an attractive pick this year.

LSU flies out of the gate against Clemson in what will end up being a huge game for both teams. Two weeks later, it’s Florida, and two weeks after that, it’s Ole Miss. That SEC schedule does not let up at any point, so if this team wins 10+ games, they are an instant College Football Playoff contender.