‘Do My Own Thing’: Lane Kiffin's Son Is Not Ready to Join LSU or Play Under His Father
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Following Lane Kiffin’s move to LSU, his son, Knox Kiffin, transferred from Oxford High School to U-High in Baton Rouge. The 3-star junior-year QB is the No. 1-ranked QB prospect in Louisiana for the 2028 class and has many offers in his hands already. Yet, the conversation around him remains whether he would play for his father as a Tiger and he has a clear answer.
“No,” said Knox during an interview with WAFB on May 26 when asked whether he wanted to join LSU. “Maybe before, but not now. Just because I’m here, I don’t have any aspirations to play for them.
“I want to kind of do my own thing. Kind of branch out, not like just get my own college experience and not kind of be behind my dad’s footsteps, or like just being able to do my own thing.”
It’s an interesting choice since Knox has been to a couple of LSU games and has also had a visit last year. LSU certainly remains a target school for many. Yet, Know already had his mind made.
“I’m not going to play for my dad,” he said in October 2025 during an interview with Rivals’ recruiting expert Adam Gorney. “I want to do my own stuff.”
Yet Lane’s influence is inescapable.
Knox admits his father’s coaching access shapes his understanding of schemes and defenses. He also gets sidelines and camp exposure from the current LSU head coach. In his time at Oxford, Knox was a frequent presence on the sidelines, even when the Rebels played away from home. However, the new LSU head coach stated that he tries not to get too involved in Knox’s preparation and watches his son’s play with pure joy as a fan.
Knox enrolled at U-High to face elite Louisiana competition, and he stayed sharp by playing on the national 7-on-7 circuit throughout the spring. Last month, the QB also laid out his focus for next season.
“Just being able to be Knox Kiffin, not the son of Lane Kiffin. Just showing the fans, or the haters, just the strengths I have in my game, and that I can really play football,” Knox told Jackson Reyes of The Advocate on May 21. “Winning games, of course, trying to bring a state championship. Putting stats up on the board, good film, good touchdowns, and just really just having a lot of stats, which I lacked last year.”
U-High coach Andy Martin sees a quiet kid who fits fast.
“He understands who he is,” Martin said to The Advocate.
Last season, at Oxford High School in Mississippi, Knox threw for 1,236 yards and 14 TDs, leading the team to an 11-win season. Following his outstanding performance, he drew over ten Division I offers before he even started his junior year of high school.From the SEC, Missouri extended an offer. And then Power Four programs like SMU, Cal, and Washington jumped in to land the quarterback.
Moreover, the young QB holds offers from UNLV, Arkansas State, East Carolina, and more. While LSU hasn’t extended an offer to Knox yet, the 3-star QB already announced where he may want to end up if everything works out.
Lane Kiffin’s son’s ‘dream schools’
Like Ryan Day’s son, RJ Day, Lane Kiffin’s son wants to build his own identity. Following his high school performances and a football family background, elite programs from across the country are chasing Knox Kiffin. However, the QB has his two dream schools: Florida and Oregon.
“They’ve always been my dream schools since I was a little kid but, you know, just whatever schools are interested in me,” said Knox during a Rivals camp in March this year.
Neither Florida nor Oregon has extended an offer to Knox yet, but if he has a breakout junior season at U-High, he could receive offers from his top-choice schools. That’s a waiting game, though. But Knox’s focus isn’t on which school he will join.
“I just want to play football,” Knox said. “That’s the main goal.”
Trending Articles
The post ‘Do My Own Thing’: Lane Kiffin’s Son Is Not Ready to Join LSU or Play Under His Father appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos