LSU Ranked No. 13 in 2021 Preseason Coaches Poll

Tigers ranked behind Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M and Florida in preseason coaches poll

With the 2021 season set to kick off in less than a month, preseason polls will be rolling out over the next three weeks. On Tuesday, the preseason coaches poll was released and the Tigers were ranked No. 13. 

LSU will enter the season ranked behind the SEC likes of Alabama (1), Georgia (5), Texas A&M (6) and Florida (11) while week one opponent UCLA did not crack the top 25. Only Ole Miss was able to break into the top 25 at No. 25

This isn't an outlandish starting point for a Tigers' team that really underwhelmed in 2020 but is returning enough of its veteran core to make voters believe a bounce back season could be on the horizon. Ahead of the 2020 season, the purple and gold were ranked No. 5 in the coaches poll coming off that national championship. 

Of course that was before the Tigers would go on to lose multiple players over the course of fall camp, including Ja'Marr Chase, Kary Vincent and Tyler Shelvin. Heading into 2021, LSU returns a strong nucleus and a younger coaching staff that really seems to be striking a chord with the players. 

"All of the coaches they brought on in, they're like brothers to us," defensive lineman Andre Anthony said. "That chemistry we have with them, when it's not about football we can talk to them about anything. It's got a family oriented feel and with them being so young, they know what it feels like and we definitely feed off their energy."

Here's a full list of the top 25 in the coaches rankings heading into week one:

1. Alabama 

2. Clemson 

3. Oklahoma 

4. Ohio State 

5. Georgia 

6. Texas A&M 

7. Notre Dame 

8. Iowa State 

9. North Carolina 

10. Cincinnati

11. Florida 

12. Oregon 

13. LSU 

14. USC 

15. Wisconsin 

16. Miami 

17. Indiana 

18. Iowa 

19. Texas 

20. Penn State 

21. Washington 

22. Oklahoma State 

23. UL-Lafayette 

24. Coastal Carolina 

25. Ole Miss