Adam Kleffner Season 2025
Adam Kleffner joined the LSU coaching staff in the spring of 2024 and serves as the lead offensive analyst for the Tigers.
Kleffner comes to LSU after three seasons as an offensive analyst at Illinois. He spent the 2020 season as offensive assistant at Stephen F. Austin.
In 2022, Kleffner helped Illinois to an 8-5 record, the Illini’s first 8-win season in 15 years. Illinois ranked in the AP Top 25 for five straight weeks, reaching as high as No. 14, and were ranked in the College Football Playoff rankings for the first time in school history.
The offensive line was one of the most dominant position groups for the Illini, as Illinois’ offensive line was named a Joe Moore Award finalist for the first time in program history. All five starters on the offensive line earned All-Big Ten honors and right tackle Alex Palczewski became the first tackle in Illinois history to earn First-Team All-American honors. The offensive line also paved the way for running back Chase Brown, who ranked fourth in the nation in rushing and was Illinois’ first ever Doak Walker Award finalist.
Kleffner helped coach one of the most veteran offensive line groups in the nation in 2021, including All-Big Ten performers Doug Kramer (second-team), Vederian Lowe (honorable mention), and Palczewski (honorable mention). The group helped Brown become the 14th 1,000-yard rusher in program history and pull off ranked road wins at No. 7 Penn State and No. 20 Minnesota. The season-defining win at Penn State was fueled by the offensive line, as Brown rushed for 223 yards – the most ever by an opponent at Beaver Stadium – and freshman Josh McCray, who had another 142 rushing yards, the most ever by an Illini true freshman against a Top-25 opponent. For the season, the Illini run blocking was graded No. 14 in the nation according to Pro Football Focus.
Kleffner was at Stephen F. Austin for one year after serving as an assistant offensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys in 2019. The Cowboys 2019 offensive line featured three Pro Bowlers in Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, and Zack Martin.
Kleffner previously worked as an offensive quality control/analyst at Missouri in 2018 and four seasons at his alma mater Portland State in various offensive coaching positions. He was a quality control coach at Portland State from 2012-13, then left coaching for the business world, before rejoining Portland State as a graduate assistant in 2016, then offensive line coach in 2017.
Kleffner lettered four years at Portland state (2008-11) and made 20 career starts on the offensive line with the Vikings, including most of his final two seasons. He earned a degree in business management at Portland State.