LSU has spent the offseason trying to make its offensive line sturdier. Fourteen practices into fall camp, Lane Kiffin is still not convinced the job is finished. The Tigers already have a strong-looking starting five, led by Colorado transfer Jordan Seaton. But behind those starters, the picture is much less settled.

“It’s a concern,” Lane Kiffin said about the offensive line depth via LSU Sports. “Something that is high on our list of concerns right now.”

Lane Kiffin was asked whether LSU could play more than five offensive linemen during games, particularly with players such as Devin Harper and William Satterwhite II pushing for opportunities. His answer was hardly a vote of confidence.

“We’ve got to continue to get guys better,” he said. “They got to improve so that we feel more confident with that.”

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LSU knew the offensive line needed fixing, so Lane Kiffin went hard after it in the offseason. Jordan Seaton now has the left tackle job, while Maryland transfer Aliou Bah is projected at right guard. Bo Bordelon, Braelin Moore and Weston Davis are back at left guard, center, and right tackle. But the problem is what comes next.

William Satterwhite and Sean Thompkins Jr. have seen some first-team work, but LSU has not found a clear group of reliable backups behind its starters. Several other transfers remain buried on the depth chart. Lane Kiffin has already changed the coaching around the unit, hiring Eric Wolford as O-line coach and bringing in James Cregg to handle the run game.

Kiffin knows the work he put into this team.

“I guess before yesterday, normally we’d say our team is our team, and so it’s what we got,” he added. “But I guess that potentially changed yesterday, but other than that, we got to get the guys better.”

It’s speculation, but he could be referencing the temporary restraining order issued by East Baton Rouge Parish Judge William Jorden. The ruling could give a group of college athletes another season of eligibility as they challenge the NCAA. One of the players potentially available is BYU offensive guard Weylin Lapuaho, who is the sort of experienced body LSU could use. 

Lapuaho started 13 games at Utah State as a freshman in 2022 before transferring to BYU, where he became a three-year starter and earned All-Big 12 honors. The 6’4, 310-pound lineman also spent part of the summer getting looks from the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins. Now, with another college season potentially available, he became one of the several football players who entered the transfer portal.

For LSU, that could suddenly turn an uncomfortable depth problem into a more manageable one. The Tigers don’t need to rebuild their offensive line again. The five projected starters give them a starting group they can work with. What it needs is insurance. If one of them gets hurt, the season could become a different story.

Lane Kiffin knows it. And with LSU opening against Clemson on Sept. 5, the Tigers may have found a potential fix in the timely restraining order.