An alarm has been sounded for Lane Kiffin at LSU, and he probably shouldn’t ignore it
Lane Kiffin hasn’t coached a game yet at LSU and he’s already generating controversy in Baton Rouge.
No matter what you think of LSU head coach Lane Kiffin, there’s one thing you can’t deny — the man knows how to dominate headlines.
Kiffin hasn’t coached a game yet at LSU, and he’s already at the center of college football’s biggest story with just a week to go before the Tigers’ season opener against Clemson.
The conversation about class of 2022 high school players who have spent time in NFL training camps this summer (or played in preseason games) returning to college has been a hot topic over the last week.
LSU is planning to add a couple of former NFL players to the roster if the rules allow (there’s been a lot of back and forth between court rulings and the SEC).
For now, Kiffin says that he’s been in daily communication with the SEC, and he pointed out that regardless of where things stand on the former NFL players being eligible, that they can practice with LSU for the time being.
Final rosters have to be turned in on Friday, the day before LSU plays Clemson in Baton Rouge.
An alarm has been sounded for Lane Kiffin
This is obviously a polarizing topic in college football. Many fans don’t want to see NFL players return to college, as they fear that crossing that line could change the sport forever.
Others feel it’s not fair to the players already on the roster who have grinded with the team all summer to earn their spot on the depth chart.
Former Penn State offensive lineman turned analyst Landon Tengwall made a good point on Monday, noting that adding players to the roster this late could have a negative impact on team culture.
“This feels like a massive distraction for LSU,” tweeted Tengwall. “Any player whose reps are going to be taken by an NFL player returning to CFB is gonna cause problems in the locker.”
I think Tengwall is spot on. Look, these players are human. How would you feel if you had spent all summer earning a promotion at your job, you get the promotion, then suddenly your boss brings in someone to take that job from you? Even if your pay stays the same, you’d probably be a little bitter.
It’s unreasonable to expect a player in LSU’s locker room who gets knocked down the depth chart because of this situation to feel differently.
Talent is necessary to win championships, but talent alone won’t do the job. It has to be a locker room full of players who are on the same page, pulling for each other and willing to go to war for each other. That isn’t built overnight, but it can be destroyed overnight. And Kiffin is risking destroying that connection by adding NFL players to the roster.
LSU’s roster is good enough to win a championship without adding players from the NFL.
