By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
Bear Bryant was 16-4 against LSU as Alabama’s coach from 1958-82, including an 11-0 run from 1971-81 while winning six national championships.
But he often marveled at the homegrown talent on the other side that he continually beat.
“LSU has as much talent as anyone we play,” Bryant, whose only losses to LSU were in 1958 to coach Paul Dietzel, in 1969 and ’70 to coach Charles McClendon and in his last season in 1982 to coach Jerry Stovall, once said in the 1970s.
LSU first-year coach Lane Kiffin had thoughts similar to Bryant as he watched film of LSU as Alabama’s offensive coordinator from 2014-16, as Ole Miss’ head coach from 2020-25 and even as Tennessee’s head coach in 2009 when LSU wasn’t on his schedule.
“In warm-ups, I felt like there’s no way we’re going to lose.”
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) September 11, 2026
-Lane Kiffin at coach’s show Thursday night on his debut last Saturday. And that was only the start of a winning week.https://t.co/1rzzfiF2AK
“It’s interesting, Charlie and I were talking,” Kiffin said Monday, referring to his offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, who was with Kiffin at Ole Miss and at Alabama. “Like, it’s one of the reasons we came here. We used to watch LSU over the years. I’ve been to three SEC schools, so you see a lot of them on tape, whether you’re playing them or not. And there’d always be some young player that would come in at the end of the game, and we’re like, ‘Who is that?’ Not a high-ranked recruit, but somebody who’s big, strong, fast. And you’re like, ‘Man, that’s a backup at LSU?'”
And someone would look up the player.
“And every time, ‘Yeah, it’s some three-star player from Louisiana,'” Kiffin said. “We were always like, ‘Man, that’d be pretty cool to have players like that on your roster.'”
And without any NFL or SEC entanglements, by the way.
Kiffin noticed such a player on the roster he inherited from previous head coach Brian Kelly after last season. Not a three-star, but little used four-star signee Phillip Wright III of Destrehan High near New Orleans. He was the No. 256 player in the country, No. 37 receiver and No. 10 prospect in Louisiana when he signed with LSU in 2025. He was also a track star at Destrehan, winning the 100- and 200-meter reginoal titles and turning in a 4.34 time in the 40-yard dash at the 2023 All-American Bowl Showcase.
But as a freshman last season, Wright played in only two games with one reception. Yet he is the only receiver Kiffin kept from the 2025 Tigers. Seven who could have returned – Nic Anderson, Destyn Hill, TaRon Francis, Kyle Parker, Isaiah Stone, Jelani Watkins and Kylan Billiot – either were not invited back or wanted to leave, or both.
Wright is small (6-foot-0, 171 pounds), but his speed stood out in spring drills and in August camp. And on Saturday in the Tigers’ 51-10 win over Clemson to open the season, he caught three passes for 70 yards all in the fourth quarter with a 30-yard touchdown from backup quarterback Landen Clark for a 51-3 lead with 6:43 to play.
Maybe opposing coaches this season watching LSU film will catch Wright in the fourth quarter of LSU’s blowout of Clemson and say, “Man, that number 15 is a backup at LSU?”
Wright could see more action Saturday when the No. 8 Tigers (1-0) host Louisiana Tech (1-0) in Tiger Stadium (6:30 p.m., ESPN+, SEC Network+), and perhaps earlier in the game.
“He had a really good look in his eyes,” Kiffin said. “He really played strong out there. Really excited for him. I got really excited on his touchdown. Just because he has worked really hard. He played good in the scrimmages, not good in the scrimmages, but he kept working. It was awesome to see.”
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