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LSU ranked in Way-Too-Early Top 10: Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt says 2025 is "critical" for Brian Kelly

Untitled design (1)by:Julie Boudwin•about 15 hours
garrett nussmeier and brian kelly
Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt has LSU in his Way-Too-Early Top-10 for 2025, placing the Tigers at No. 9 and recently calling this next season a critical one for Brian Kelly, who is 29-11 (.725) through three seasons in Baton Rouge.

Klatt emphasized that the Tigers must take a significant step forward after finishing last season with fewer than 10 wins for the first time under Kelly. While LSU has been successful, making an SEC Championship appearance in 2022, the expectations in Death Valley are much higher—and that means competing for a national title.

“I think this is a critical year, obviously, for Brian Kelly,” Klatt said on his show. “They’ve got to show a — I don’t want to call it dramatic — I would call it significant. They need to show a significant step in the right direction and I don’t think that’s out of the question.

“I’ve got LSU at number nine,” he said. “LSU is in my Top-10. Big year for Brian Kelly. They’re at number nine.”

So why did Klatt put LSU in his Top 10? He pointed to three major factors:

— A loaded transfer portal class –  LSU brought in a whole new class of players through the transfer portal. Their 16 additions rated them at No. 5 in On3’s 2025 Team Transfer Portal Rankings, including key additions at wide receiver and offensive line. A dozen of those ranked in the Top-200 of On3’s Top Transfer Portal Players over this cycle.

— A defense on the rise – Year 2 under Blake Baker should see improvement, especially with stars like Harold Perkins and Whit Weeks back in the purple and gold and of course DJ Pickett, the freshman 5-star+ signee and On3’s No. 1 cornerback prospect in the 2025 class, who is on track to be a Day 1 starter at LSU.

— An experienced QB in Garrett Nussmeier – Klatt emphasized that seasoned quarterbacks are the key to winning in college football, and with Nussmeier returning, LSU has a legitimate weapon under center. In 2024, Nussmeier passed for 4,052 yards, 29 TDs and 12 INTs in his first year as the true starter.

“More so than anything, they get Nussmeier back. You know how I feel about experienced quarterbacks. Whether they’re transferring in or they’re staying put like Nussmeier at LSU? Experienced quarterbacks are running college football,” said Klatt. “We’re seeing that time and time again. We saw it with Penix and J.J. McCarthy two years ago in the national championship. We saw it on Monday night with Will Howard and Riley Leonard. These experienced quarterbacks are the ones having all the success. Now LSU is going to have that so that’s huge for them.”

The talent is there, the expectations are sky-high and the Tigers will likely enter 2025 as one of Kelly’s highest-ranked preseason teams. The question is: can LSU take that next step and compete for a playoff spot and a national title? Time will tell, but Klatt is buying in—putting the Tigers at No. 9 and calling it a huge year in Baton Rouge.

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