Updated Saturday, September 5, 2026. Figures are reported estimates; LSU does not publish its payroll. Refreshes after each portal window.
Depending on whose number you use, LSU is either fourth in roster spending or first. OutKick’s May valuation put the Tigers at $42.8 million; CBS Sports reported in August that multiple industry sources consider LSU the most expensive roster in the sport, with several projecting more than $50 million once incentives are paid. Either way, Lane Kiffin’s first offseason was the most aggressive portal spend in the country.
| Player | Pos | On3 valuation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Leavitt | QB | $4.5M | Transfer from Arizona State; fifth highest football valuation nationally |
| Jordan Seaton | OT | $4M | Transfer from Colorado; highest paid offensive lineman in the country |
| Princewill Umanmielen | EDGE | Seven figures (reported) | Followed Kiffin from Ole Miss; no On3 figure published |
On3 NIL 100 as of September 4, 2026, deal based model.
How LSU Spends
Kiffin arrived from Ole Miss in December and rebuilt the roster through the portal, with Leavitt, Seaton and Umanmielen the headline seven figure signings. The one he did not get was Trinidad Chambliss: Ole Miss signed its quarterback to a revenue share deal reported above $5 million a year specifically to keep him from following Kiffin to Baton Rouge.
LSU also became the most prominent school to sign former NFL players under court ordered fifth year eligibility, adding Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, which triggered the SEC’s ban and a federal lawsuit against the school. Both were left off the Week 1 roster. The full saga is on our NFL to college tracker.
The Bottom Line
LSU’s roster costs somewhere between $42.8 million and more than $50 million depending on incentives, and the two most expensive pieces, Sam Leavitt and Jordan Seaton, both came out of the January portal. National context is on most expensive rosters and highest NIL valuations. Related: LSU football schedule, LSU depth chart.