Marler Monday: Two ‘what-ifs’ for LSU in 2026

By Chris Marler

LSU finally got to experience the fun part of the transfer portal late Sunday night and on Monday. They got a few tally marks in the column for players coming in from the portal instead of going out. 

They picked up three commitments on offense from former Pitt TE Malachi Thomas, former Utah RB Raycine Guillory and former Hawaii WR Jackson Harris. I could be completely wrong, but all three of these additions feel like depth pieces for the 2026 roster. All three are three-star recruits out of the portal and Guillory redshirted in 2025.

What if the star of the 2026 offense is already on the roster?

I think that’s the case. It would suck to be on the outside looking in during the transfer portal shopping spree that everyone is currently enjoying. You know what would suck more? Wasting money on players that aren’t as good as the potential stars you currently have on the roster. 

What would you rather have: RB Kewan Lacy from Ole Miss for the cool price of $1.8 million or three to four offensive lineman for the same price that can step in and play right away? 

That’s the kind of decision that this staff and Lane Kiffin will have to make. I think the decision is pretty easy. The answer is shoring up the worst unit on the field last season for the Tigers. 

You don’t necessarily need a superstar in this offense under Kiffin. He’ll find it. There’s a reason why nine of his last 12 quarterbacks have put up at least 3,000 yards and/or 30 touchdowns. There’s also a reason in the years he didn’t have a quarterback that achieved those numbers, he had a running back like Devin Singletary who had 3,268 yards rushing and 54 touchdowns. 

Harlem Berry and Trey’Dez Green are stars in the making. It doesn’t take a genius to see that. Luckily for LSU, Lane Kiffin is an offensive genius. 

The majority of questions for LSU heading into year one of the Lane Kiffin era are on the offensive side of the ball.

What if having a top offense doesn’t even matter?

Hear me out, there’s almost no chance that happens under Lane Kiffin. The track record speaks for itself. His last ten offenses have averaged 36.5 ppg with the lowest in any season still being 31.1 ppg. Five of his last six offenses at Ole Miss ranked in the top eight nationally in yards per game, and the lowest he had while in Oxford was all the way down at No. 13. 

I’m not worried about the offense, and neither should you, but what if it doesn’t matter because of how elite the defense is in 2026? That could be a big what if considering some of the defensive performances that Blake Baker’s unit had this past season. What if the pieces are in place for the 2026 unit to not just be better than last season, but to be one of the best in the country? 

The secondary returned to form this past season and they return three starters, including former five-star, 6-foot-5 DJ Pickett. They also return Dashawn Spears who was expected to be one of the top players in the portal were he to enter his name. They get All-American LB Whit Weeks back for another season, and then there’s the defensive line that may be one of the most significant jumps in talent across the board of any unit in the country. 

Three former five star recruits will be on the defensive line next season: Dominick McKinley, Richard Anderson, and Lamar Brown should be key pieces, and as of today the top EDGE rusher in the portal Chaz Coleman is currently crystal balled to LSU. 

What if LSU doesn’t average 35.6 ppg like every other Kiffin offense in the last decade? It may not matter if they’re not giving up more than 20.