Lane Kiffin knows LSU football's offense needs to run the ball in 2026

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LSU football rebuilt its offensive line and retained its top run threats. For the style of football head coach Lane Kiffin plans on employing, the Tigers need to dominate the line of scrimmage for ball movement on the ground and pass protection.

"I think that running the ball is very critical," Kiffin said at his weekly press conference. "Each year is different based on your team, your situation, the personnel that you have for us. And so, any time in the first year, I think it's important that your team has a physicality up front. We've tried to recruit to that."

Kiffin and his staff signed the nation's top offensive lineman in Jordan Seaton while also retaining center Braelin Moore along with Bo Bordelon and Weston Davis. They also kept running backs Caden Durham and Harlem Berry while signing Wisconsin transfer Dilin Jones.

From FAU to Ole Miss, Kiffin employed an explosive and fast-paced offense to keep opposing defenses on their toes. But he pointed to establishing the run and gaining small yards in critical situations as the reason why his offense can go tempo. Churning out yardage on the ground will be more important than ever, according to Kiffin, in a deep SEC.

"There's going to be more and more because of the balance in the conference," Kiffin said. "That comes down to you're in final possessions and can you run the ball to make the last one or two first downs to end games and can you stop them to get one more chance on defense?"

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Lane Kiffin knows LSU football's offense needs to run the ball in 2026

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