BATON ROUGE – LSU will open the 2026 ranked in the Top 25 in both national poll as the Tigers are ranked No. 11 in the preseason Associated Press Poll, the organization announced on Monday.
Earlier this month, LSU earned a preseason ranking of No. 13 in the USA Today Poll. The Tigers, under first-year coach Lane Kiffin, is coming off a 7-6 season a year ago. LSU’s roster has been bolstered by the addition of the nation’s top-rated transfer portal class, a group that includes the No. 1 quarterback Sam Leavitt, the No. 1 edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen, and No. 1 offensive tackle Jordan Seaton,
Dating back to 2000, LSU has been ranked in the preseason Top 25 in all but two seasons – 2000 and 2022.
LSU hosts Clemson, who is ranked No. 23 in the coaches poll and fell just outside the Top 25 in the AP poll. Clemson is ranked No. 26 in the AP poll.
The Tigers are among nine SEC teams ranked in the AP Top 25, a list that includes five LSU opponents – No. 5 Texas, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 9 Ole Miss, No. 13 Alabama and No. 20 Tennessee. LSU plays Texas, Texas A&M and Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
Other SEC teams in the AP Top 25 include Georgia at No. 3 and Missouri at No. 25.
Ohio State is ranked No. 1 followed by Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame and Texas. Indiana, Miami (Fla.), Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Oklahoma round out the Top 10.