ESPN Releases Way-Too-Early Top 25 For 2026 Season

As soon as the 2025 College Football season ended on Monday night with Indiana beating Miami in the National Championship, ESPN released its Way-Too-Early Top 25 for the 2026 season.

LSU and new head coach Lane Kiffin came in at No. 15 in the rankings. Here's what they had to say about the Tigers.

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15. LSU Tigers
2025 record: 7-6, 3-5 SEC

Key starters expected to leave: QB Garrett Nussmeier, WR Barion Brown, WR Zavion Thomas, S A.J. Haulcy, DE Jack Pyburn, LB Harold Perkins Jr., CB Mansoor Delane, WR Aaron Anderson

Key additions: QB Sam Leavitt (Arizona State), WR Jayce Brown (Kansas State), WR Eugene Wilson III (Florida), WR Winston Watkins (Ole Miss), WR Tre' Brown III (Old Dominion), DE Jordan Ross (Tennessee), DT Stephiylan Green (Clemson), S Ty Benefield (Boise State), G Devin Harper (Ole Miss), LB TJ Dottery (Ole Miss), DT Malik Blocton (Auburn)

2026 outlook: Love him or hate him, there's little debate that new LSU coach Lane Kiffin builds winning programs, and his teams score a lot of points. The Tigers held off Miami, Tennessee and others to land Leavitt, who is coming off foot surgery. In 2024, he led the Sun Devils to a Big 12 title by throwing for 2,885 yards and 24 touchdowns with six interceptions. Kiffin and his staff loaded the roster with proven receivers, and they grabbed several transfers to rebuild what was a very mediocre offensive line in 2025. Kiffin grabbed three potential starters from Ole Miss, his former school, in Harper, Dottery and Umanmielen. Retaining defensive coordinator Blake Baker was a coup, as was persuading linebacker Whit Weeks to come back. The Tigers will play Clemson, Texas A&M, Alabama and Texas at home, but no game will be more anticipated than their Sept. 19 SEC opener at Ole Miss.

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Complete Way-Too-Early Top 25:
1. Indiana Hoosiers
2. Texas Longhorns
3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
4. Georgia Bulldogs
5. Oregon Ducks
6. Ohio State Buckeyes
7. Texas Tech Red Raiders
8. Miami Hurricanes
9. Ole Miss Rebels
10. Texas A&M Aggies
11. BYU Cougars
12. Oklahoma Sooners
13. USC Trojans
14. Louisville Cardinals
15. LSU Tigers
16. Iowa Hawkeyes
17. SMU Mustangs
18. Michigan Wolverines
19. Washington Huskies
20. TCU Horned Frogs
21. Alabama Crimson Tide
22. Penn State Nittany Lions
23. Arizona State Sun Devils
24. Tennessee Volunteers
25. Utah Utes