Lane Kiffin Puts Out 1st Fire As LSU Coach, Signs Nation’s No. 1 DT – Richard Anderson

By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

Damage control – it’s an art form for the best college football coaches.

On Night Three of the Lane Kiffin era at LSU on Tuesday night, he apparently put out a fire on the eve of National Signing Day for the early period that started Wednesday and runs through Friday.

Get your ticket in your hand for the Kiffin Express … continuous National Signing Day updates here:https://t.co/ZkXaH9zMmI

— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) December 3, 2025

Richard Anderson, the No. 1 defensive tackle in the nation by 247sports.com and On3.com from Edna Karr High in New Orleans, was telling people that he was going to delay his signing until the second signing period that opens on Feb. 4, according to multiple reports.

That would leave a lot of time for another program to swoop in with NIL cash.

So, Kiffin huddled Tuesday night with Anderson, LSU interim coach Frank Wilson, who has recruited Anderson for years and is a former Karr assistant coach, defensive coordinator Blake Baker, new LSU general manager Billy Glasscock, who handles NIL budgeting and the transfer portal, and Anderson’s representatives.

5-Star DT Richard Anderson signs with LSU!

A three-hour meeting Tuesday night with Lane Kiffin, Blake Baker, GM Billy Glasscock and Anderson’s representatives brought “clarity” to the situation, I’m told. Anderson slept on it and decided to sign with the Tigers.

— Matt Moscona (@MattMoscona) December 3, 2025

And Anderson decided to sign with Kiffin and did so on Wednesday. He announced at Karr’s gymnasium at 11:49 a.m. and signed scholarship papers minutes later with his family, according to New Orleans’ WVUE-TV FOX 8’s Garland Gillen, who was there.

The No. 1 defensive lineman in the nation Richard Anderson is signing with the LSU Tigers.

5-star recruit “Big Rich” made it official at Edna Karr National Signing Day ceremony. pic.twitter.com/PNGgwFPmWj

— Garland Gillen (@garlandgillen) December 3, 2025

““It was good,” Anderson told reporters of the talk with Kiffin. “I was like, I’m staying home. No better place than LSU.”

As Kiffin started recruiting and hiring staff feverishly on Sunday night and into Monday and Tuesday, Anderson needed to pause.

“It got a little rocky toward the end with the signing date,” Anderson said. “I was just in my head a lot. At the end of the day, I had to get it over with and stay home.”

One of the people at the meeting Tuesday told Tiger Rag on Wednesday that Anderson is the best defensive tackle LSU has signed since Glenn Dorsey of East Ascension High in Gonzales. Then-LSU coach Nick Saban signed Dorsey in the Class of 2004. Dorsey played in 12 games as a true freshman and went on to become one of the most decorated defensive players in college football history, winning the Nagurski, Lombardi, Outland and Lott trophies as a senior in 2007 when the Tigers won the national championship.

Wilson, a New Orleans recruiting ace since he was an LSU assistant for the first time from 2010-15 and in his second run from 2022 to now, got the commitment from Anderson back on June 21, 2024.

So, it was important that Kiffin got Anderson and got him today, and do not be surprised if Wilson remains on staff at LSU. There was talk that Wilson, who has been LSU’s associate head coach and running backs coach since 2022, may be on the way out Tuesday. Often incoming coaches to a job where the previous head coach was fired bring in most of their previous staff as Kiffin is doing.

But sources said Wednesday that Wilson has a good chance of remaining at LSU. Wilson will be coaching LSU through its bowl practices and at its bowl destination, which will be learned this weekend. Wilson has also kept much of the 2026 recruiting class together after previous coach Brian Kelly was fired on Oct. 26 and he took over as interim.

Wilson’s recruiting connections at talent-rich New Orleans run deep. He played at St. Augustine High in New Orleans and was O. Perry Walker’s head coach in the city from 2000-03 before becoming a college assistant coach at Ole Miss (2005-07), Southern Mississippi (2008), Tennessee under Kiffin (2009) and at LSU. He was Texas-San Antonio’s head coach from 2016-19 and McNeese State’s head coach in 2020 and ’21.

So, far Kiffin has named three new LSU assistant coaches from his staff at Ole Miss – offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., co-offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Joe Cox, wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator George McDonald and inside wide receivers coach Sawyer Jordan. Kiffin has also hired Ole Miss offensive analyst Dane Stevens to coach quarterbacks.

Kiffin also hired an offensive line coach on Wednesday in Kentucky’s Eric Wolford, who will replace LSU offensive line coach Brad Davis, who has held that position since the 2021 season – one year before Kelly.

Wolford, 54, was Kentucky’s offensive line coach the last two seasons and held that post at Alabama (2022-23), Kentucky (2021) and South Carolina (2017-20).

Kiffin also added two Ole Miss analysts on Wednesday – Donnie Both and Lou Spanos.