LSU football is through part one of the 2025 college football season. The Tigers had their first bye in Week 6 and are gearing up to begin a grueling SEC slate. The Tigers are 1-1 in conference play after beating Florida at home and falling to Ole Miss on the road.
LSU is 4-1 overall, and despite the loss, the Tigers remain in the hunt for the College Football Playoff.
With five games in the books, we have a good idea of who this LSU team is. The sample size is now big enough to replace our preseason priors. We learned a lot about LSU in five games — some good, some bad. Preseason expectations were high. Some of those hopes have been met, especially on the defensive side of the ball. On offense, there have been more questions than answers.
Here are five things we learned about LSU football in the first part of the 2025 season.
1. LSU’s defense is one of the best in the country
LSU hired defensive coordinator Blake Baker after the Tigers’ defense was historically bad in 2023. Baker delivered immediate results in 2024, but LSU was still a step below where it wanted to be. Now, Baker has the personnel he needs and LSU’s defense is playing at an elite level.
LSU’s defense ranks No. 5 nationally, according to SP+. It’s been a while since LSU had a defense this good.
LSU signed the No. 1-ranked transfer portal class in the country, making key additions in the secondary and on the defensive line. Transfer defensive backs Mansoor Delane and AJ Haulcy are playing at an All-SEC level. Up front, Jack Pyburn and Patrick Payton provide a needed veteran presence at defensive end.
Baker’s defense is aggressive. LSU trusts its cornerbacks to hold up in man coverage, which allows the front seven to play with its hair on fire. It’s led to a defense fully capable of stopping the run and pass.
2. LSU can’t run the ball
LSU’s run game was a problem in 2024 and the Tigers put a lot of effort into fixing it, but the results haven’t been there. LSU still can’t run the ball.
According to GameOnPaper, LSU ranks No. 103 nationally in EPA/run and No. 125 in rushing success rate. Those numbers aren’t going to cut it for a team with playoff expectations.
LSU’s inability to run the ball has put stress on the rest of the offense. It’s allowed defenses to sit back and prevent the big play. That leaves LSU in a position where it can’t create explosive plays and it can’t methodically run the ball down the field. That makes scoring points hard.
Is this the final product? It’s too early to say. But as I said in the intro, five games is a big enough sample size to generate a real takeaway. LSU’s run game numbers are a major concern as we get to the back half of the season.
3. Mansoor Delane is a star
I mentioned Delane when discussing the defense, but he’s good enough to deserve his own section. The cornerback from Virginia Tech is one of the best defenders in the country. If the season ended today, Delane would be an All-American. LSU knew it was getting a solid veteran defender, but Delane is exceeding all expectations.
According to PFF, Delane’s coverage grade is 87.7. The next best mark in the SEC is 81.5.
Offenses have targeted Delane 20 times, completing just six passes. Delane has six forced incompletions and four pass breakups. Few defenders have increased their draft stock as much as Delane. In the offseason, he was seen as a day-three pick. Now, he’s a potential first-rounder.
4. Garrett Nussmeier is not a Heisman Trophy contender
Preseason, there was talk of LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier potentially being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. After LSU’s Week 1 win over Clemson, the betting markets listed Nussmeier as the Heisman Trophy.
Nussmeier’s name quickly faded from that discussion. The LSU QB just hasn’t looked right in 2025. Whether it’s an injury or just pure inconsistent play, Nussmeier has yet to find a groove. Nussmeier was just 1/7 on throws 20+ yards down the field vs. Ole Miss, and LSU’s lack of explosiveness in the passing game continues to be a problem. Nussmeier’s throws have lacked their usual zip for most of 2025, leading to questions about his health.
The occasional bad pick is still occurring, too.
With a bye week to rest, maybe we see a different Nussmeier vs. South Carolina.
5. LSU’s offensive line doesn’t have the personnel
LSU’s run game regressing even further is largely due to an offensive line not yet ready to face SEC defenses. LSU replaced all five starters on the offensive line, including four NFL Draft picks.
It’s hard to replace one or two quality offensive linemen. Having to replace four NFL players in one offseason is no easy task. Still, Brian Kelly said he was “bullish” on this unit at SEC media days, but so far, we haven’t seen it.
LSU added two veteran linemen in the transfer portal — center Braelin Moore and guard Josh Thompson. Moore has been servicable, but Thompson has struggled to replicate the success he had at Northwestern.
Left tackle Tyree Adams has shown flashes, but has largely been a liability. The same could be said for the right tackle position, whether it’s been Weston Davis or Carius Curne.
It’s hard to see this unit figuring it out this year. Aside from quarterback, offensive line is the position where development takes the longest and it doesn’t happen overnight. If LSU’s young linemen look like this in October, they won’t look much different in October. These are talented players who could turn into productive linemen in Baton Rouge, but the short-term outlook isn’t good.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: 5 things we learned about LSU football in part one of the 2025 season
