Princewill Umanmielen and Lane Kiffin set different expectations for the 2026 college football season. One hinted at a need to be patient. The other will not be satisfied with anything short of a national title.
Boosters presumably side with the latter over the former.
LSU has one of the most expensive rosters in college football, if not the most expensive roster. That puts the Tigers in a position to win right now. The days of a multi-year rebuild are long gone. This is a new era.
Lane Kiffin said “but.”
Before we go any further here, it must be noted that every single coach in the country wants to win a national championship every season and Lane Kiffin is not any different. He wants to do the same.
It would be foolish to say that Kiffin does not believe his team can go all of the way. However, his recent comments during spring practice were not quite as strong as LSU fans and boosters might’ve hoped.
The first-year head coach said he is excited to lead the Tigers back to the glory days. Kiffin knows what it takes to succeed at the highest level. He expressed his desire to win. He knows his roster is loaded.
And then he said “but…”
Lane Kiffin knows LSU Football fans want immediate success but he stresses it takes time to build a program to an elite level.
— Farrah Yvette (@farrah_yvette) March 24, 2026
He is excited about the new era but essentially is asking for patience to get LSU back to the glory days. pic.twitter.com/JrcOZrgQoO
Kiffin not-so-subtly preached patience during the program’s rebuilding phase.
“Things don’t happen overnight,” he said.
Except things can and do happen overnight in the modern era of college football. Money drives success. Just look at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders went all-in on NIL and made the national quarterfinals.
LSU spent north of $40+ million to assemble its roster for 2026 so it must now do the same. Anything short of the Playoff would be a disappointment even though Kiffin tried to temper expectations.
“Tried” is the key word. Kiffin’s comments were subject to widespread criticism. The Tigers spent a massive fortune to assemble a team full of elite talent. Nobody is going to be patient!
Princewill Umanmielen expects LSU to win a college football national championship in 2026.
Fans and boosters still believe the Tigers should compete for a national title in year one. As do the players. (And if we’re being real so does Kiffin— despite what he said during his press conference.)
Princewill Umanmielen is one of the highest-paid players in the country. The star defensive end actually announced his decision to stay at Ole Miss before LSU offered him a one-year deal worth ~$1 million.
His most recent comments about his new team contradict what his head coach said last week. Umanmielen did not ask for patience, directly or indirectly. He expects to win a national title in 2026.
Princewill Umanmielen: This isn't a first year build thing. We're trying to go all the way. If you have that mindset, this ain't the place for you. pic.twitter.com/YqZZY8NjP1
— Harrison Valentine (@HValentineLSU) April 2, 2026
This first year of the Lane Kiffin era at LSU is an interesting experiment. He has the richest roster in college football at his disposal and rebuilds are a thing of the past.
Whether you like him or not, Kiffin wins. But what happens if it takes a few years to do so? Will Tiger fans be patient? How long do they give him? We’ll see.