All of the headlines about LSU and Ole Miss meeting up for a top 10 SEC battle on Saturday night start with one name: Lane Kiffin. Of course they do! Kiffin's return to Oxford is the top story of the weekend, and the Oxford crowd is going to be all over him from the second he steps off the bus on Saturday.
While the new LSU head coach will steal all of the headlines, and rightfully so, there are plenty of elite players on both sides of the ball when these two teams take the field. As a result, not only will there be some riveting college football to keep an eye on, but NFL scouts and teams will have a ton to chew on coming out of this one as well from an NFL Draft perspective.
Of course, the quarterbacks are the headline acts. Trinidad Chambliss is one of the best players in the country and has already cemented himself near the top of the Heisman Trophy race early in the season. On the LSU side, Sam Leavitt had a ton of buzz around him coming into the 2025 season, but injuries took him out of the spotlight. Now, he is at LSU and looking to jump back into the draft conversation.
Let's take a look at the best NFL Draft prospects on either side in this game that you should be keeping an eye on during Saturday night's blockbuster matchup.
LSU
QB Sam Leavitt
Leavitt is a bit of an interesting prospect. He is a blur on the field and is almost an overstimulating watch from a college football perspective, but he is still such a project as an NFL quarterback. Sure, Leavitt is a great athlete with a strong arm, but his polish just isn't there at the moment. His decision making lacks at times, and he fails to see the whole field on a consistent basis.
Still, Lane Kiffin developed Jaxson Dart during his time at Ole Miss, and Leavitt is a similar player some ways. It will be interesting to see how he can mold the Arizona State transfer over the next few months, starting on Saturday night.
TE Trey'Dez Green
Green is technically a tight end, but he is more of a jumbo slot receiver most of the time (even though Kiffin is asking him to block on a more frequent basis this year). Still, the junior is 6-foot-7, 242 pounds with a gigantic catch radius. He is a quarterback's dream as a red zone target and is also a fluid mover, making him a fascinating player to watch in the draft process.
LT Jordan Seaton
Seaton is arguably the best NFL Draft prospect in this game. The former five-star recruit is one of the most talented offensive linemen in the country, and now he is finally working in a system that supports a cohesive unit up front after the mess that was Colorado in 2025. Seaton is a graceful mover who has strong power and a mean streak about him that coaches will love. While there is still some consistency issues to clean up, all of the tools are there for a guy who has a chance to be a top 10 pick.
EDGE Princewill Umanmielen
Umanmielen is off to one of the hottest starts in the country after following Kiffin from LSU to Ole Miss this offseason. He already has five sacks on the season in just two games and has already racked up 10 pressures. Ole Miss, and just about everyone else in the SEC, will have to devote extra attention to him as long as he continues to play at this level.
EDGE Jordan Ross
Ross was a talented prospect at Tennessee, but the consistency and the role were not there for him to have a real breakout. That doesn't look like it will be the case this year, as he already has 1.5 sacks and eight pressures in two games. He has solid traits and has a chance to become a Day 2 pick if he can keep this up all season long.
LB Whit Weeks
Weeks has been a staple in Blake Baker's LSU defense for years now, and it's easy to see a path to him being a mid-round pick this spring. He is a high-IQ linebacker who plays extremely hard, despite being on the smaller side for his position. Watching the chess match between him and Trinidad Chambliss will be a treat on Saturday night.
S Ty Benefield
Benefield has good size for a safety at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds and is a very fluid athlete which allows him to cover a lot of ground in coverage. He is also not afraid to trigger downhill and contribute in the run game, which will be a key in this matchup against the Ole Miss ground attack. If he continues to play like he has during the first two weeks, the Boise State transfer might be a first-round pick in a loaded safety class.
Article Continues BelowOle Miss
QB Trinidad Chambliss
Chambliss doesn't have the prototypical size of an NFL quarterback prospect, but it becomes apparent when watching him that the guy is just a heck of a football player. He has great playmaking ability and instincts and has become adept at not giving up negative plays as often while hunting for the home run in the backfield. He is also very accurate, moves around the pocket well and has a good enough arm that allows him to make a lot of throws.
Chambliss already torched Georgia a couple of times last season and lit up Louisville in the second half of the season opener a few weeks ago. LSU on Saturday night will be another stiff test for a prospect that is rising up boards quickly.
RB Kewan Lacy
Lacy is, to put it in layman's terms, a beast. He is over 200 pounds already and is a physical force in between the tackles. Lacy plays with high pad level at times, but he has good burst when he gets up to the second level. His patience is his best trait, as he is more than happy to bounce around and wait for a gap to open up in the backfield. He is also solid in the passing game, both as a receiver and in pass protection.
Lacy has been dealing with an injury early this season, but if he is a full go on Saturday, expect him to have the ball all night.
WR Deuce Alexander
Alexander is an absolute burner that has a chance to be even better than De'Zhaun Strubling, who went at the top of the second round in the 2026 NFL Draft. He has elite speed and is a big play waiting to happen, and that has been on display already with 13 catches for 235 yards and two touchdowns in his first two games this season. He will be tested against better corners, especially more physical ones who can challenge his smaller frame, but the explosiveness is very intriguing.
DT Will Echoles
Echoles lives in opposing backfields and is an ultra-productive defensive tackle. Coming into the heart of this season. he has a great case to be the top-ranked defensive linemen in the NFL Draft. In 2025, he notched five sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss.
The LSU offensive line has looked better this season than in years past, but it will have its hands full with one of the best in the nation in Echoles on Saturday night.
EDGE Suntarine Perkins
Perkins is another in the ever-growing mold of edge rusher/linebacker hybrids, but he has plenty of pass-rushing juice that will boost his draft stock when the spring rolls around. He finished with 10.5 sacks in 2024, and while those numbers went down a bit in 2025 while his tackle numbers went up due to his off-ball linebacker reps, his versatility is what makes him so valuable for this Ole Miss defense.