Lane Kiffin reveals what stood out in LSU’s first scrimmage ahead of Clemson opener

LSU has now put its revamped roster through its first major test of fall camp, and Lane Kiffin came away from the Tigers' opening scrimmage with one side of the football clearly ahead of the other.

“I thought the first defense played extremely well, gave the offense a lot of pressure and really good in coverage, so that was great to see,” Kiffin said.

For Clemson, that's worth noting with a little less than two weeks remaining before the Tigers travel to Baton Rouge for the Sept. 5 season opener, a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ABC.

LSU's first-team offense didn't have the same kind of start.

“Obviously, any time in scrimmages both sides are never going to look really good, and so the first offense struggled for a while, then came back and played well later, which is what we hope for,” Kiffin said. “But I thought there was a lot of good things to evaluate.”

There was certainly plenty to evaluate.

LSU ran roughly 170 plays, according to Kiffin, with about half of the scrimmage involving live tackling. And as Kiffin continues sorting through a roster filled with transfers and young players, Saturday provided the first substantial look at how those pieces are beginning to fit together.

Here are the developments that matter most from a Clemson perspective.

LSU's defense made the first statement

Perhaps the most significant takeaway was Kiffin's assessment of his first-team defense.

The Tigers pressured the quarterback, covered well and made life difficult on LSU's offense early in the scrimmage.

That's particularly interesting because Kiffin believes the defense is beginning to develop an identity despite bringing together players from several different programs.

“I think the defensive mentality of the individual players have come together, because you have a lot of alphas over there that have come from other places,” Kiffin said. “Some were here, and them meshing together and learning each other, I'm really excited about that.”

It's still a scrimmage against its own offense, and Kiffin acknowledged the inherent give-and-take involved when evaluating one side against the other. But the early returns suggest Clemson's offense could be walking into a difficult environment against a defense that is beginning to come together quickly.

Sam Leavitt's mobility continues to stand out

The biggest storyline entering LSU's camp was the health of Sam Leavitt.

Nothing Kiffin said after the first scrimmage changed the encouraging outlook he provided after LSU's opening practice.

In fact, Leavitt apparently showed exactly the kind of movement Clemson will have to account for.

“He's moved great, and really, we knew obviously what an athlete was, especially two years ago on film, but he moves around great, got out of a lot of trouble with some great pass rush and great pressures that came at him and some that came free Saturday,” Kiffin said.

That matters.

The question surrounding Leavitt wasn't simply whether he could stand in the pocket and deliver the football after recovering from the injury that ended his 2025 season. His mobility is part of what can make Kiffin's offense difficult to defend.

And last Saturday provided another indication that LSU isn't dealing with a limited quarterback.

Kiffin also identified Leavitt's presence as one of the biggest reasons LSU has progressed since the beginning of camp.

“I think the quarterback being out there every day and being fully healthy has made a big difference,” Kiffin said.

Kiffin still wants more from LSU's offensive line

If there's an area Clemson should continue monitoring closely, it's LSU's offensive line.

Kiffin said the unit remains a work in progress.

“They're still working. They're still coming together,” Kiffin said. “There's a lot of pieces from different places.”

That isn't particularly surprising for a team undergoing substantial roster turnover, but it becomes more noteworthy given that LSU opens against Clemson immediately rather than having an early nonconference game to work through those issues.

Kiffin is concerned about youth on the defensive line

While LSU's first defense had an impressive scrimmage, Kiffin isn't pretending everything is settled up front.

Asked specifically about relying on freshmen along the defensive line, he acknowledged the concern.

“Yeah, I do,” Kiffin said.

His explanation was revealing.

“If you study old teams win now, and I just think that's the maturity of the player, especially the fourth, the fifth-year player, and how they think and what's important to them,” Kiffin said. “They're used to playing, too. They're veterans, even then at all. Obviously, the fifth-year player plays different than the rookie usually.”

That presents an interesting thing to follow within LSU's defense.

Harlem Berry gives LSU another option in the backfield

Another name Clemson fans should continue tracking is Harlem Berry.

The sophomore running back produced one of the scrimmage's notable offensive plays with a long touchdown run.

“I think we got to remember Harlem's young. When he got here one year and coming from a smaller league before that,” Kiffin said. “So there's some transition in that, and everybody nowadays just expects everybody to be an impact player immediately. He's started to run the ball more physically. He had some good, had a good, long touchdown run Saturday. So, I'm very excited about where he can get to.”

He's part of a backfield that also includes Caden Durham, who Clemson knows well.

Durham rushed 17 times for 74 yards and a touchdown in LSU's 17-10 win at Clemson last season. LSU finished that game with 108 rushing yards, but Durham accounted for the overwhelming majority of the production from its running backs.

The green dot gives Kiffin another offensive weapon

One other comment from Kiffin is worth filing away for Clemson's preparation.

Kiffin was asked about helmet communication and made no attempt to hide how much he believes it has helped his offense.

“I believe we're number one in the country over green dot time of total offense and passing offense,” Kiffin said. “So, I think it's benefited us.”

Kiffin credited offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. and the way LSU can communicate with its quarterback before the helmet communication shuts off with 15 seconds remaining on the play clock.

“Ours is a lot more in-depth of what we do and how we work it and where the 15 cuts off, 15 seconds, and our ability to get things done fast and in fast so we can still talk to them all the way up to that point,” Kiffin said.

It's another reminder that Clemson isn't simply preparing for LSU's personnel.

Allen and the Tigers are preparing for Kiffin's system, tempo and ability to help Leavitt diagnose what Clemson is showing before the snap.

For Clemson, the Leavitt update remains the most important.

There was a legitimate question entering August about what version of the former Arizona State quarterback Clemson would see in Tiger Stadium.

Kiffin's answer has become clearer with each update.

Leavitt isn't merely practicing.

He's moving well, escaping pressure and, in Kiffin's words, is “fully healthy.”