LSU’s $91 million gamble on Lane Kiffin looks like a risky bet now. After a hefty investment, high hopes, and controversies, Kiffin arrived in Baton Rouge with a 55-19 record at Ole Miss, promising success. But when Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd asked Josh Pate about Kiffin’s move to LSU, promising a title, Pate answered bluntly, “No.”

“We’re not sure about it at all. It’s kind of like if you look at the draft,” ESPN’s analyst Josh Pate said on the Colin Cowherd podcast. “Any given year, you’ve got teams that are badly in need of a quarterback. You’re going to have a QB 1, 2, or 3 in any draft. There are some drafts in which QB 3 that year is better than QB 1 two years down the road. I think about hiring cycles the same way.

Lane was HC1 in this last hiring cycle. Does that really mean he compares to when Urban was on the open market a generation ago? Not exactly.”

Pate’s caution is well-founded, as the SEC is littered with examples of high-profile hires who couldn’t conquer the conference’s brutal landscape.

Hugh Freeze came to Auburn after success at Ole Miss and Liberty, but ended up with a 15-19 overall record and a 6-16 SEC mark. The same happened to Brian Kelly, who came to LSU after a successful tenure at Notre Dame, but despite a 34-14 record, the team failed to reach the playoffs under him.

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Remember when Lane Kiffin went to Tennessee after the firing of longtime coach Phillip Fulmer? He went 7-6 with the Vols. Later, rather than staying to help lift their program, he moved to USC as a head coach, a move that turned disastrous: he ended up with a 28-15 record and got fired.

On top of it, Lane Kiffin never actually took them to the playoffs. In fact, in the 2025 season, when he was really close to taking them in, he made his move to the LSU Tigers. So, even though he is a $91 million hire, he has yet to guide a team to a championship berth. The LSU Tigers still need to secure a championship berth, a goal they haven’t achieved since 2019.

The Tigers dominate recruiting and wield financial muscle that no other team can match. That’s precisely why Kiffin’s recruiting has been so seamless, with LSU now holding the No. 1 spot in the portal under him. However, the concern is about fit and pressure.

LSU football culture is politically complex, something Brian Kelly struggled to handle. Kiffin’s brash personality might seem like a better cultural fit than Kelly’s. However, he’ll still face intense pressure, as even a 10-2 season without a championship berth will mean nothing to the Tigers.

He does have his offensive team and talented players like Sam Leavitt, so let’s see if he can turn doubts into praise. For now, he is focusing on his recruiting moves.

Lane Kiffin eyes former Ole Miss players from portal

Amid the noise surrounding his hire, Kiffin is focused on bolstering his No. 1 recruiting class through the transfer portal. Edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen has emerged as the No. 1 defensive prospect in the NCAA transfer portal. The moment he entered the portal, LSU became the first team to pursue him.

His on-field production justifies the hype. This past season, he totaled 44 tackles with 13 tackles for loss and nine sacks. Interestingly, he already signed with Ole Miss before entering the portal, but now he wants to move.

Alongside him, Lane Kiffin is also eyeing Ole Miss linebacker TJ Dottery, who entered the portal this week. He even visited LSU, which adds more to his interest in Kiffin’s system. During the 2025 season, he recorded 98 tackles with 48 solo, while adding two forced fumbles and two pass breakups with 1.5 sacks.

Now, production and familiarity can help Kiffin big time. Let’s wait and see if Kiffin can get them on board!