LSU football poured money into its 2026 roster for new head coach Lane Kiffin. After firing Brian Kelly, LSU swung big by hiring Kiffin. The star coach was in high demand and it didn’t just take a raise to woo Kiffin to Baton Rouge — the Tigers had to make resource commitments, too.
LSU signed the No. 1-ranked transfer portal class in the country. The crop featured over 40 new players, including big-name transfers like QB Sam Leavitt and offensive tackle Jordan Seaton. On defense, LSU added pass rusher Princewill Umanmielen and safety Ty Benefield.
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LSU didn’t just spend on portal prospects. The Tigers paid to retain rising stars like tight end Trey’Dez Green and running back Harlem Berry.
Today, we’ll look at the estimated five most valuable players on LSU’s roster. Thanks to CollegeFrontOffice, we have some insight into the worth of each player on LSU’s roster. CFO uses a mix of reporting, position value, program, and talent assessment to estimate a player’s market value. Here’s a look at LSU’s top five.
5. Stephiylan Green | Defensive Tackle | Transfer | 1.04 million
Stephiylan Green transferred to LSU after a productive year at Clemson. Per CollegeFrontOffice, Green’s roster value is 1.04 million. Green may not be the most talented player on LSU’s roster and he doesn’t generate the same attention as LSU’s stars, but defensive tackles are in high demand, especially in the transfer portal. They don’t come cheap.
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4. Jordan Ross | Defensive End | Transfer | 1.05 million
Ross comes in at No. 4 on LSU’s roster with a valuation of 1.05 million. That number doesn’t necessarily match the production we saw from Ross for two years at Tennessee, but he is a former five-star, plays a premium position, and was acquired through the transfer portal. All three elements raise his price.
3. Princewill Umanmielen | Defensive End | Transfer | 1.5 million
Umanmielen’s placement on this list comes as no surprise. He was one of the top-ranked players in the transfer portal and one of the SEC’s most productive pass rushers in 2025.
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2. Jordan Seaton | Offensive Tackle | Transfer | 4 million
Few positions are as important as left tackle. When former Colorado tackle Jordan Seaton entered the transfer portal, we knew he would command a heavy price tag. It was reported that LSU ended up paying 4 million for Seaton, beating Oregon in a bidding war. If Seaton brings the expected improvement to LSU’s offensive line, he’ll be worth every penny.
1. Sam Leavitt | Quarterback | Transfer | 6 million
CFO lists new LSU QB Sam Leavitt as a 6 million dollar player. With Garrett Nussmeier off to the NFL and the rest of LSU’s QB room entering the transfer portal, LSU was left without a QB on the roster. Kiffin was determined to land one of the best available, which resulted in LSU not giving up on its pursuit of Leavitt. There were some twists and turns along the way, but LSU managed to get the ex-Arizona State QB to Baton Rouge.
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Takeaways
The most obvious takeaway from this list is that transfers cost a lot of money. A transfer has more leverage on the open market than a high school recruit does; teams are more willing to spend to fill needs. That raises the price for every Power Four quality player in the portal.
Per CFO, the five highest-paid players on LSU’s roster are transfers. That doesn’t mean these five are the best players on LSU’s roster, but they’re the most “expensive.”
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: The five most valuable players on LSU football’s 2026 roster
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
