The Lane Kiffin-to-LSU rumor mill has officially gone nuclear.
On3’s Brett McMurphy polled more than 80 of the most prominent voices in college football media – national writers, TV analysts, radio hosts, podcasters, and even a few governors – asking one simple question: Where do you think Lane Kiffin will be coaching in 2026?
By the numbers
The result was a landslide.
59 picked LSU
17 picked Ole Miss (stay)
5 picked Florida
2 picked the Tennessee Titans
1 picked Alabama
1 admitted “no clue”
That’s 69% of the entire sample believing Kiffin is Baton Rouge-bound, with many expecting an announcement as soon as this weekend – potentially even before Ole Miss plays in the SEC Championship Game or a possible College Football Playoff run.
The only non-media votes came from three sitting governors. Florida’s Ron DeSantis and Louisiana’s Jeff Landry both declined to answer (smart). Mississippi governor Tate Reeves enthusiastically predicted Kiffin would stay, giving the Rebels one of their 17 votes.
Multiple reports indicate LSU has put a monster offer on the table believed to be in the neighborhood of $90 million over eight years, which would make Kiffin one of the highest-paid coaches in America.
What makes the timing so wild is that Ole Miss is 10-1, ranked in the top 10 with a realistic shot to win the national title.
Walking away from a legitimate contender mid-cycle would be one of the most Lane Kiffin things imaginable – and maybe the most LSU thing imaginable.
Voting results
- Andrea Adelson, ESPN – LSU
- Brooks Austin, Film Guy Network – LSU
- Tony Barnhart, Mr. College Football – Ole Miss
- Matt Barrie, ESPN – Florida
- Bill Bender, Sporting News – LSU
- Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel – Florida
- Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle – Ole Miss
- Rico Bosco, Barstool – Ole Miss
- Tim Brando, FOX Sports – Ole Miss
- Stormy Buonantony, ESPN – Ole Miss
- Peter Burns, SEC Network – LSU
- Chris Childers, Sirius XM – LSU
- Cole Cubelic, SEC Network – LSU
- Chuck Culpepper, Washington Post – Ole Miss
- Gary Danielson, CBS Sports – Ole Miss
- Ross Dellenger, Yahoo Sports – LSU
- Shea Dixon, The Bengal Tiger On3 – LSU
- Scott Dochterman, The Athletic – LSU
- Dennis Dodd, formerly CBS Sports – LSU
- Chris Doering, SEC Network – Florida
- Dusty Dvoracek, ESPN – LSU
- Bud Elliott, CBS Sports – LSU
- Chris Fallica, FOX Sports – LSU
- Bruce Feldman, The Athletic – LSU
- Paul Finebaum, ESPN – LSU
- Bryan Fischer, Sports Illustrated – LSU
- Pete Fiutak, College Football News – LSU
- Pat Forde, Sports Illustrated – LSU
- Tom Fornelli, CBS Sports – Tennessee Titans
- Ted Gangi, College Press Box – Ole Miss
- Steven Godfrey, Phantom Island – Alabama
- Steve Greenberg, Chicago Sun Times – LSU
- David Hale, ESPN – LSU
- Matt Hayes, USA Today – LSU
- Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN – LSU
- Desmond Howard, ESPN – LSU
- Shehan Jeyarajah, CBS Sports – LSU
- Gus Johnson, FOX Sports – LSU
- Richard Johnson, CBS Sports – Ole Miss
- Danny Kanell, CBS Sports – Ole Miss
- Dan “Big Cat” Katz, Barstool – LSU
- Joel Klatt, FOX Sports – LSU
- Sam Khan, The Athletic – LSU
- Joey Knish, Hit the Books – LSU
- Matt Leinart, FOX Sports – LSU
- Chris Low, On3 – Ole Miss
- Tom Luginbill, ESPN – LSU
- Stewart Mandel, The Athletic – LSU
- Greg McElroy, ESPN – LSU
- Brett McMurphy, On3 – Ole Miss
- Tim Murray, VSIN – LSU
- Pete Nakos, On3 – LSU
- Rick Neuheisel, CBS Sports – LSU
- Kevin Negandhi, ESPN – LSU
- Keith Niebuhr, Gators Online On3 – Florida
- Dari Nowkhah, ESPN – LSU
- Josh Pate, Josh Pate’s CFB Show – LSU
- Chip Patterson, CBS Sports – LSU
- J.D. Pickell, On3 – LSU
- Dave Portnoy, Barstool – Ole Miss
- Brad Powers, Hit the Books – LSU
- Brady Quinn, FOX Sports – LSU
- Scott Rabalais, Baton Rouge Advocate – LSU
- Tate Reeves, Governor of Mississippi – Ole Miss
- Steve Richardson, FWAA – LSU
- Adam Rittenberg, ESPN – LSU
- Dave Ross, VSIN – LSU
- Ralph Russo, The Athletic – LSU
- Andy Staples, On3 – LSU
- Phil Steele, Phil Steele Magazine – LSU
- Paul Stone, professional handicapper – LSU
- Rob Stone, FOX Sports – Ole Miss
- Jenny Taft, FOX Sports – LSU
- Clay Travis, Outkick – LSU
- Jake Trotter, ESPN – LSU
- Scott Van Pelt, ESPN – “No clue”
- Brandon Walker, Barstool – Ole Miss
- Trey Wallace, Outkick – Tennessee Titans
- Andre Ware, ESPN – LSU
- Ari Wasserman, On3 – LSU
- Dan Wetzel, ESPN – LSU
- Jon Wilner, Bay Area News Group – Ole Miss
- Collin Wilson, predictive analyst – LSU
- Matt Youmans, VSIN – Florida
- Adam Zucker, CBS Sports – LSU
Is Kiffin to LSU a done deal?
When Paul Finebaum, Kirk Herbstreit, Joel Klatt, Bruce Feldman, Stewart Mandel, Josh Pate, Phil Steele, and literally dozens more all line up on the same side, it’s no longer speculation — it’s the heaviest betting favorite in coaching carousel history.
The only notable pushback comes from a passionate (but small) Ole Miss contingent and, ironically, Brett McMurphy himself, who voted for Kiffin to stay.
If this many people who make a living reading tea leaves are this certain, the smart money is on purple and gold.
Lane Kiffin to LSU might not just be likely. It might already be done.
