LSU targeting former Florida State OC Alex Atkins for offensive staff role

The LSU Tigers are reportedly targeting former Florida State Seminoles offensive coordinator Alex Atkins for a role on their staff.

For the last three seasons, Atkins has been on the staff at Florida State as an offensive line coach and the offensive coordinator. That run came to an end in November 2024, amid the Seminoles’ disappointing season, when it was announced the team would be making changes at both offensive and defensive coordinator.

Under Atkins, the Florida State offense thrived in 2022 and 2023. The 2023 Seminoles, in particular, that went unbeaten in the regular season and won the ACC were known for having an excellent offense. In 2023, the Seminoles were 54th nationally in total offense, averaging 401.6 yards per game. Then, Florida State was 18th in scoring offense, averaging 34.6 points per game.

2024 was a much more difficult season for both Florida State and Alex Atkins. In a year where the Seminoles went just 2-10 with the offense taking a major step backward. They would fall to 132nd in total offense, averaging 270.3 yards per game. Then, the team’s scoring offense was 131st nationally, scoring 15.4 points per game. Beyond that statistical drop-off, Atkins was also suspended for the first three games of the 2024 season for recruiting violations.

Prior to his time with Florida State, Atkins was an offensive assistant at Charlotte, Tulane, Georgia Southern, and multiple FCS programs.

As of now, the role that Atkins would be taking at LSU isn’t entirely clear, other than that it would be on the offensive side of the ball. However, offensive coordinator Joe Sloan is currently set to return to the Tigers while offensive line coach Brad Davis is going to be in his fifth season with the program. So, it will be a new role from the one that Atkins held at Florida State.

In 2024, the LSU offense was 25th nationally in total offense, averaging 431.5 yards per game. The Tigers were 47th in scoring offense, averaging 30.5 points per game.

Alex Atkins is a well-respected coach among his peers. He’s also been known as a strong recruiter during his career. It already seems like LSU is looking to tap into that ability, as it was reported that he played a key role in four-star offensive lineman Solomon Thomas flipping from Florida State to LSU in the Class of 2025. Now the hope is that he can continue to make a massive impact on the roster moving forward both in who he recruits and how he helps develop those players.