Lane Kiffin Hires Recruiting Ace As D-Line Coach; Blake Baker To Make $9.3 Million Over 3 Years

By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

Remember that Texas A&M signing class of 2022?

It was a consensus No. 1 class in the country, and some over-caffeinated recruiting experts called it possibly the greatest recruiting class in history. Maybe it was a great class, but it did not develop well under Aggies’ coach Jimbo Fisher.

Texas A&M went 5-7 overall and 2-6 in the Southeastern Conference in 2022, and Fisher – hired for $75 million over 10 years by then A&M athletic director Scott Woodward after the 2017 season at Florida State – got fired during the 2023 season after a 6-4 and 4-3 start.

The person whose boots were on the ground throughout the recruitment of that underachieving class of ’22 as well as the No. 8 class of 2021, No. 6 class of 2020 and No. 4 in 2019 is expected to join new LSU coach Lane Kiffin’s staff as defensive line coach.

Lane Kiffin is considering Syracuse co-defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson for a spot at LSU.https://t.co/04Uy7sQNzw

— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) December 5, 2025

That is Elijah Robinson, who was defensive line coach at Texas A&M from 2018-23 and defensive coordinator at Syracuse in 2024 and ’25. Robinson, 40, is expected to replace LSU defensive line coach Kyle Williams, a former LSU and NFL star at Buffalo after just one season as defensive line coach.

Robinson will be coaching under LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker, who agreed Friday to remain in that job at LSU after turning down the head coaching job at Tulane. Baker has a new three-year contract worth $9.3 million overall, according to the Baton Rouge Advocate. He will make $3 million in 2026.

Because of a hell of a GameNight at LSU, Lane Kiffin cancels GameDay appearance as he’s securing that defensive coordinator Blake Baker stay at LSU over going to Tulane or Memphis as head coach. @racertodd https://t.co/DwbnUsbpN0

— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) December 6, 2025

Robinson was just demoted to co-defensive coordinator at Syracuse by head coach Fran Brown after a 3-9 season (1-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) in 2025. Syracuse finished 125th out of 134 major programs in total defense in 2025 with 427.7 yards allowed a game. Robinson’s run defense was 99th with 174.9 yards allowed a game.

In 2024 during a 10-3 and 5-3 season, Robinson’s defense finished No. 78 in total yards allowed a game at 377.5 and No. 69 against the run (150.2 yards allowed a game).

Robinson was part of an excellent defense in the 2023 season with the Aggies under coordinator D.J. Durkin. A&M finished No. 13 in the nation that year in rush defense with 108.8 yards allowed a game and No. 19 in total defense with 316.2 yards allowed a game.

Robinson played defensive tackle a Penn State from 2004-07 and was a graduate assistant in 2011 and assistant coach there in 2012-13. He held defensive line coach jobs at Temple (2014-16) and Baylor (2017) before going to Texas A&M.