The pressure is mounting for LSU football coach Brian Kelly as he enters his fourth season in 2025. With a storied program hungry for glory, LSU legends are speaking out, setting a clear expectation: a national championship. But can Kelly deliver on this high-stakes demand, or will the Tigers falter again?
LSU Legends Sound Off on Brian Kelly’s Fourth Season and Need for a National Championship
On a recent “Jacques Talk” episode hosted by Jacques Doucet, LSU football greats Rohan Davey, Eddie Kennison III, and Kevin Faulk didn’t hold back. They laid out the stakes for Kelly, who has yet to lead the Tigers to the College Football Playoff since taking over in 2022.
“My expectation, as well as these guys, is yeah, we should be taking a step closer towards getting a national championship,” Davey stated, echoing the sentiment of a fanbase that last celebrated a title in 2019 under Ed Orgeron.
“My expectation, as well as these guys, is yeah we should be taking a step closer towards getting a national championship.” @LSUfootball greats @RohanDavey6 @ekennisoniii and @feezy_k discuss Brian Kelly entering his fourth season at #LSU.
Complete conversation here -… pic.twitter.com/eJC6rU9HJw
— Jacques Doucet (@JacquesDoucet) May 7, 2025
The alumni are speaking up after a frustrating 2024 season, where LSU missed out on the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. It stung—and fans aren’t hiding their disappointment. Outlets have pointed out that patience is running thin. Kelly was brought to Baton Rouge for one reason: to win big.
Kevin Faulk weighed in too, saying Kelly really needs to get in tune with LSU’s unique culture. It’s not just about coaching talent—it’s about understanding what makes this program special.
According to Faulk, that’s the key to getting LSU back to championship form. And, the pressure’s definitely on. If the Tigers don’t make a serious playoff push in 2025, it’s going to feel like a letdown—no question.
Meanwhile, the SEC landscape is fiercer than ever, with rivals like Alabama bolstering their rosters. A separate segment from “Jacques Talk” revealed Alabama’s improved defensive back room, with one speaker noting, “I actually think it’s the DB room… they’ve added quality depth.”
This underscores the challenges Kelly faces in a conference where even incremental improvements by opponents can make a national title run an uphill battle.
SEC Rivalries Intensify: Can LSU Overcome Alabama’s Defensive Surge?
Alabama’s looking like a serious hurdle for LSU this year, especially with Kalen DeBoer heading into his second season as head coach. On a recent “Jacques Talk” episode, they gave a lot of credit to Bama’s secondary.
One guest pointed out just how stacked their defensive back room is, saying, “When you lose nobody to the portal, that’s a big deal.” And it really is—keeping your players in today’s transfer-heavy world is rare.
Adding to that, Alabama’s got some serious young talent, like freshman corner Dijon Lee Jr.— he’s six-foot-four and already turning heads. The fact that Bama didn’t lose a single scholarship player during the spring 2025 transfer window? That kind of stability gives DeBoer a huge edge. It’s bad news for LSU’s offense, especially their passing game.
For Kelly, this showdown with Alabama isn’t just another SEC battle—it’s a major test. Beating a defense like that would go a long way in proving he’s got LSU on a real championship track.
LSU’s historical success—national titles in 1958, 2003, 2007, and 2019—sets a high bar.
Yet, the Tigers’ recent struggles against Alabama, with only two wins in their last 10 meetings, add to the challenge. Kelly’s ability to outmaneuver DeBoer’s strengthened squad could define his tenure and determine whether LSU can reclaim its place atop college football.
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2025 is shaping up to be a make-or-break year for Kelly. LSU legends and die-hard fans have made it crystal clear—the goal is a national championship. That’s just the standard when you’re leading a program with as much history and pride as LSU. And with Alabama beefing up their defense, the road through the SEC isn’t getting any easier.
Kelly’s got to steer this team through some serious challenges if he wants to bring home the “Natty” everyone’s waiting for. If he doesn’t, there’s a real chance people will say he fell short of what LSU football is all about.
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