Updated Friday night, September 4, 2026, ahead of the Clemson opener. Lane Kiffin does not release LSU’s two deep until game day, so this is the projected chart based on fall camp reporting. It is updated when the official version is out and after every game.
Kiffin’s first LSU team is built through the portal: Sam Leavitt at quarterback, Jordan Seaton at left tackle, Jayce Brown at receiver, and a defensive line so deep that Kiffin said defensive tackle is the only spot still unsettled. The former NFL players at the center of the SEC’s lawsuit, Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, were left off the Week 1 roster Friday, so none of the names below are affected for Clemson.
Offense
| Position | Starter | Backup | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Sam Leavitt | Husan Longstreet | Landen Clark |
| RB | Dilin Jones | Harlem Berry | Caden Durham, Stacey Gage |
| WR (X) | Jayce Brown | Eugene Wilson III | Malik Elzy |
| WR (Z) | Jackson Harris | Tre’ Brown | Corey Barber |
| WR (Slot) | Winston Watkins | Phillip Wright | Brayden Allen |
| TE | Trey’Dez Green | Zach Grace | Malachi Thomas |
| LT | Jordan Seaton | Brysten Martinez | Hayes Fuqua |
| LG | Bo Bordelon | Ja’Quan Sprinkle | Brett Bordelon |
| C | Braelin Moore | William Satterwhite | Braden Augustus |
| RG | Aliou Bah | Devin Harper | Ja’Quan Sprinkle |
| RT | Weston Davis | Darrin Strey | Sean Thompkins |
Defense
| Position | Starter | Backup | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| EDGE | Princewill Umanmielen | Dylan Carpenter | Jaiden Braker |
| DT | Deuce Geralds | Richard Anderson | Dominick McKinley |
| DT | Malik Blocton | Stephiylan Green | Shone Washington |
| EDGE | Jordan Ross | Lamar Brown | Junior Tuihalamaka |
| WLB | Whit Weeks | Tylen Singleton | Charles Ross |
| MLB | TJ Dottery | Davhon Keys | Zach Weeks |
| Star | Dashawn Spears | CJ Jimcoily | Aidan Hall |
| CB | DJ Pickett | Ja’Keem Jackson | Havon Finney |
| CB | PJ Woodland | Michael Turner Jr. | Emari Peterson |
| SS | Ty Benefield | Faheem Delane | Treylan James |
| FS | Tamarcus Cooley | Jhase Thomas | Mason Dossett |
Special Teams
| K / KO | Scott Starzyk (Arkansas transfer); Gavin Higgins backup |
| P | Grant Chadwick; Hayden Craig backup |
| KR | Harlem Berry; Caden Durham |
| PR | Eugene Wilson III; Winston Watkins |
| LS | Silas Hall; Mack Mulhern |
Position Breakdown
Quarterback. Leavitt missed all of spring recovering from a foot injury suffered at Arizona State and has been the clear starter since he returned. Husan Longstreet moved past Landen Clark for the backup job during fall camp.
Running back. The most crowded room on the roster. Dilin Jones, Harlem Berry and Caden Durham have all taken first team reps and Stacey Gage worked his way into the rotation, so expect Kiffin to use three or four backs in a game even though his offenses have historically leaned on one. Berry is also the kick returner.
Receiver. Jayce Brown is WR1. Jackson Harris and Winston Watkins round out the starting three, with Eugene Wilson III, a Florida transfer, pushing hard for snaps and handling punt returns. Phillip Wright behind Watkins in the slot is the freshman most likely to force his way onto the field.
Tight end. Trey’Dez Green is the best tight end in the country and the focal point of the passing game. Oregon transfer Zach Grace surged into the No. 2 spot late in camp.
Offensive line. Colorado transfer Jordan Seaton at left tackle is the headline addition. Braelin Moore anchors the middle, Weston Davis held off Darrin Strey at right tackle, and Aliou Bah won right guard over Devin Harper, who followed Kiffin from Ole Miss.
Defensive line. Kiffin said everything has settled except defensive tackle, where freshmen Deuce Geralds and Richard Anderson pushed past returners Dominick McKinley and Shone Washington. Princewill Umanmielen and Jordan Ross are the starting edges with Lamar Brown and Dylan Carpenter rotating on both sides. Notre Dame transfer Junior Tuihalamaka is the wild card.
Linebacker. Whit Weeks and TJ Dottery start, with Davhon Keys, the SEC’s second leading tackler last season, as the first man off the bench. Dashawn Spears takes over the Star position in Blake Baker’s defense.
Secondary. DJ Pickett and PJ Woodland could be the best corner pairing in the SEC, but depth behind them is thin after Aidan Anding tore his Achilles in the spring. Ty Benefield and Tamarcus Cooley start at safety, with Jhase Thomas and Faheem Delane both getting first team reps.
The NFL Returnees: Not This Week
LSU left tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris off the roster it submitted to the SEC on Friday, one day after a Louisiana judge issued a preliminary injunction that cleared both former Ole Miss players to return to college despite NFL stints this summer. LSU listed 103 players against a 105 limit, so the two open spots are still there. Neither was going to be a factor Saturday anyway: Harris has not practiced and Wright has practiced twice. The SEC sued Kiffin and LSU administrators in federal court in Alabama on Thursday, and Clemson’s general counsel warned LSU on Friday that using either player could breach the game contract. Both remain enrolled and can be added at any point in the season. If Wright joins, he slots behind Trey’Dez Green; Harris would go straight into the defensive tackle rotation Kiffin calls unsettled. Full coverage on our NFL players returning to college tracker.
The Bottom Line
LSU’s two deep is settled everywhere but defensive tackle and the running back rotation, and both of those are depth problems, not talent problems. The Clemson opener is previewed at Clemson vs. LSU, and the full slate is on our LSU schedule. This page is updated when the official chart drops Saturday and after every game.