LSU head coach Brian Kelly has a ton of pressure on him heading into he 2025 season. Whether he knows it or not doesn’t matter. Whether he feels it or not doesn’t matter either.
The truth of the matter is, Kelly has to get LSU into the College Football Playoff, at least, or he may not be long for his role in Baton Rouge. That’s something he hasn’t done yet with the Tigers, and in the grand scheme of things, LSU hasn’t been back to the CFP since 2020, when they won it all with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.
This is a fanbase with high expectations, and Kelly, despite being 29-11 in three seasons, hasn’t met them.
That leads former LSU All-American defensive end turned ESPN talking head Marcus Spears to believe that fans won’t just be antsy if Kelly doesn’t lead the Tigers to the CFP in 2025 — they’ll want him gone.
“LSU is in that window now … where if you don’t win big, if you’re Brian Kelly, this fan base is done,” Spears said on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Tuesday (h/t On3). “And I’m just telling you, the wins and the success and all of the things, going to the SEC Championship your first year was, was great, but people still didn’t feel like that was like a big time accomplishment based on how it happened. This year, you see all of the transfers, you see the recruiting class, Garrett Nussmeier in the preseason Heisman conversation, all of those things in the past at LSU has aligned with them having big seasons.”
"If you don't win big, if you're Brian Kelly, this fan base is done. … If they're on the outside looking in, in the playoffs, this fan base is going to turn quickly on Brian Kelly."
—@mspears96 on expectations for LSU this season pic.twitter.com/OFMa4ipKIm
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) August 5, 2025
As Spears alluded to, quarterback Nussmeier is expected to be one of the best in college football, if not the best. Kelly also went out this offseason and brought in the top transfer class in the nation. That’s a group that’s highlighted by Florida State senior EDGE transfer Patrick Payton and Oklahoma redshirt junior wideout transfer Nic Anderson.
LSU is loaded heading into 2025. As Spears put it, championships are never guaranteed, but it’s about time for the Tigers to be a legitimate contender. If not, Kelly may quickly wear out his welcome.
“It doesn’t guarantee a championship, but it should guarantee you being a playoff contender,” Spears said of LSU’s big offseason and talent. “And if they are not, if they are on the outside looking in in the playoffs, this fan base is going to quickly turn on Brian Kelly. And it’s almost like (there’s) been situations where they’ve been waiting to do it. This would be that inflection point if LSU doesn’t win big this year. (I’m telling) y’all what I know, not what I think.”
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