It’s been a minute since Lane Kiffin spoke in front of reporters. In fact, you have to go all the way back to his introductory press conference on December first. But yet LSU football has remained at the top of the news cycle, despite Kiffin saying very little.
That’s because Kiffin has been able to produce content for media and fans to consume by hiring what looks to be a very good staff, bringing in an excellent transfer portal class and using social media to capture his movements throughout the state, as he goes to hot yoga classes, enjoys a late dinner at some of the best Baton Rouge restaurants, his trip to various high schools or the snapshots from inside the football operations building.
While he didn’t provide a lot of new information or tell wild stories of how he got dozens of players from around the country to sign at LSU, he did drop a few tidbits at his press conference on Wednesday.
The biggest news item is an update on quarterback Sam Leavitt’s recovery from surgery in October to repair a Lisfranc injury in his foot. It’s a surgery that requires five to six months of rehab.
Kiffin says Leavitt will be able to do seven-on-seven drills during spring practice, but no team drills.
But LSU has two other scholarship quarterbacks, Husan Longstreet and Landen Clark. Kiffin likes the depth he has at the Q-B position.
“Three guys that I think are really talented, different styles of players, and it says a lot about them to come to the same place,” Kiffin said. “Nowadays, a lot of guys don’t want to do that, they want to go where they are guaranteed to start, so it says a lot about their competitiveness.”
Kiffin had to work hard to get Leavitt and offensive tackle Jordan Seaton to come to LSU. Both players had multi-day visits to LSU, but left Baton Rouge to visit with other schools and coaches.
In both cases, Kiffin jumped on a plane and flew to where they were to keep the pressure on them to come to LSU.
"I don't really do well with 'no.' It just makes me more competitive when someone tells me no," Kiffin said.
"My job is to sign the best players. If that means I have to get on a plane and find a guy in the Knoxville airport, so be it. It's how I work."
"And I think that fits in with Louisiana people, because that's how they think. No job is too small. Find a way to get it done... It's a good match."
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Two of Kiffin’s first recruiting wins were the signing of former Edna Karr star Richard Anderson and University High lineman Lamar Brown.
They are five-star prospects who were committed to the previous staff and thought about waiting until February to make their college choice. But Kiffin got them to sign in December.
But Kiffin does not take the credit for Anderson and Brown signing with LSU.
“We don’t even have a D-line coach at the time, and they still sign with LSU, that’s not because of Lane Kiffin, that’s not because of Frank Wilson, that’s the power of a place that they would decide to sign instead of waiting to see everything involved, because they both knew it was LSU,” Kiffin said.
Kiffin feels good about the roster he’s put together. There’s talent, there’s depth, and the players who have spoken to the media are hungry to bring a championship to LSU.
“We have a really talented roster. Does that mean we are going to win games? Not necessarily, does that mean they are going to be a great team? No, we have a lot of work to do now,” Kiffin said.
So don’t expect Kiffin to talk again for a while as he works to put this team together to make a run at a College Football Playoff berth.