LSU football vs. Clemson Week: 5 storylines to watch

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We're days away from LSU football's 2026 opener vs. Clemson. There's a buzz in Baton Rouge as Lane Kiffin prepares to begin his tenure as LSU's head coach.

In hiring Kiffin, LSU tabbed the best available coach on the market. The Tigers followed it up by spending money in the transfer portal, completely rebuilding the offense.

Eyes across the sport will be on this one. ESPN's College GameDay will be in attendance, and it's a primetime game in ABC's Saturday night slot. It's a helmet game, featuring two of the sport's top brands.

Clemson enters the game unranked. Dabo Swinney's program isn't the powerhouse it was in the 2010's. Clemson entered 2025 with high expectations, but like LSU, fell well short. Still, this Clemson program has talent and can create problems for Kiffin's team.

As the game approaches, here are five storylines worth keeping an eye on.

What's the latest with LSU's attempt to add former pros?

Most of the talk surrounding LSU this week hasn't been what's happening on the field. It's been about LSU's attempt to add fifth-year players that have previously signed NFL contracts to the roster. LSU is hoping to add former Ole Miss tight end Dae'Quan Wright and former Ole Miss defensive tackle Zxavian Harris. Both played under Kiffin at Ole Miss in 2025 but went undrafted.

After brief stints at NFL camps, Wright and Harris couldn't find spots on NFL rosters and returned to college. But an ongoing legal battle will determine if the two suit up for the Tigers.

On Monday, the fight escalated again as Yahoo's Ross Dellenger reported other SEC program admins were considering "extreme" measures against LSU. Most of the SEC has been opposed to adding former pros to rosters.

There will be some court proceedings on Thursday, and final rosters have to be posted Friday. We should get some clarity by the end of the week.

Will Clemson name a starting quarterback?

Reports over the weekend indicated that Clemson QB Christopher Vizzina was close to nabbing the starting job, but Swinney was still noncommittal on Monday.

"They can all run the Clemson offense," Swinney said.

Is this gamesmanship or does Clemson have a legit QB battle going on? I'd lean gamesmanship. Reports say Vizzina has taken most of the first-team reps, and major college football programs don't want QBs splitting reps before a massive Power Four game.

LSU's defensive staff will likely prepare for both players, just in case Clemson deploys Tait Reynolds in any special packages.

Is LSU entering Week 1 healthy?

LSU's health appears to be in a good place entering 2026, but there's always the chance of injury news breaking late in the week. But right now, it's so far, so good.

LSU QB Sam Leavitt reached full strength during fall camp after missing most of the spring. LSU's receiver room got healthier, too. The Tigers were conscious about which players needed extra protection, which is why you saw tight end Trey'Dez Green wearing a gold jersey.

How does LSU deal with the pressure and spotlight?

LSU is under a spotlight entering 2026. Kiffin's departure from Ole Miss was dramatic and only added to the coach's polarizing reputation. On top of the Kiffin noise, LSU spent a ton on this roster. And when money is spent on a roster, the investors want to see wins.

LSU's opponents know LSU's roster is expensive. In the same way the Dodgers get the best from their opponents each and every night, LSU will be a target week in and week out.

That starts this week. Swinney is a big personality and his team will be leaning into the underdog role on their way to Baton Rouge. Kiffin needs to do his best to help LSU block out that external noise and keep the focus on the field.

This game is a rematch of 2025's Week 1 contest

LSU vs. Clemson met to kick off the 2025 season, too. Last year, LSU went on the road and won. At the time, it seemed like a signature resume win for Brian Kelly and staff. But neither team turned out to be all that good, and Kelly was fired before the calendar hit November.

The story of 2025 served as another reminder — don't overreact to Week 1.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU football vs. Clemson Week: 5 storylines to watch

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