Tab Brian Kelly's LSU Tigers as the top team on the watch for dark horse expectations. After a few frustrating years in Baton Rouge, Kelly's roster finally looks comeback-ready.
Even Kelly's SEC rivals are sold on the Tigers being "playoff ready" this season.
"They have playoff expectations here, and it’s a better depth chart than he’s had in Baton Rouge. If they aren’t in the CFP, I think there’s some serious pressure here," an anonymous SEC head coach told Athlon Sports.
"The big talk here is the way they’ve restructured. This isn’t an autonomous coaching culture anymore. [GM] Austin Thomas has a huge role building the roster, and it showed this offseason. The internal evaluation of LSU football will look more professional; they’re going to build BK [Brian Kelly] the best roster possible to go out and win games."
A hefty credit for this should go to Garrett Nussmeier, one of the top-ranked QBs in college football entering 2025, for setting the bar this high for expectations surrounding the program.
Making Nussmeier's chance at winning better is all the weapons Kelly has positioned surrounding him through the top transfer portal class.
"Nuss [Garrett Nussmeier] is a legit talent, and they did a really good job finally getting serious in the portal to put weapons around him," an anonymous SEC coach said.
ESPN's Adam Rittenberg believes this roster would be Kelly's best in recent years.
"Kelly could have his best team as quarterback Garrett Nussmeier stayed, and LSU made a strong transfer portal push. He needs a good start at Clemson, though, after dropping his first three season openers with the Tigers," Rittenberg wrote.
Until then, the expectations will remain divided, polarizing even.
Only time will tell which one of the predictions will stand true for Kelly.