Lane Kiffin’s 5-star recruit explains why he ditched Deion Sanders in historic $4 million SEC move

Lane Kiffin’s arrival in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has brought in star-powered talent.

The LSU head coach, who left his role at Ole Miss before the College Football Playoff, attracted No. 1-ranked offensive lineman Jordan Seaton to make the switch from the Colorado Buffaloes to the Tigers earlier this year.

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The former IMG Academy star made history when he committed to playing in Boulder in 2024 by becoming the first top-rated five-star offensive lineman to suit up for the Buffs.

He declined offers from other elite football programs, including Alabama and Ohio State, to team up with NFL icon and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders.

In Boulder, he started 22 games over two seasons, protecting now-Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders in his first year, and logged 1,350 total offensive snaps.

But after two seasons working with Coach Prime, he opted to seek a fresh challenge elsewhere where he felt he could further his development, even though Sanders had made a promise to build the game around him.

When he entered the transfer portal, Seaton attracted strong interest from the Oregon Ducks and 2025 National Championship runners-up Miami Hurricanes, but ultimately settled on playing for Kiffin at LSU.

Why? Partly because of Kiffin. But also because there was a chance to reunite with offensive line coach Eric Wolford, who he has a strong relationship with.

He was, of course, also handed a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal worth $4 million — a historic figure for an OL, and a vast increase on the $1.7 million he was reportedly making at Colorado, per reports.

Seaton speaks out on transfer to LSU

Having made Louisiana his home over the past few months, Seaton hosted a free football camp for young and aspiring athletes in the Baton Rouge area.

There, he spoke with WAFB-TV reporter Jacques Doucet about his switch to LSU, and gave some insight as to why he felt it was the right move for a potential future career in the NFL.

“I think LSU speaks for itself,” Seaton said. “I don’t think we got to go through all the comparisons and all the ‘what makes them better’, ‘what makes this better.’ I think LSU is LSU. And LSU is always going to be LSU.”

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“[Kiffin] played a big factor, but not only Lane Kiffin, my O-line coach, Eric Wolford,” Seaton admitted, when asked what type of role Kiffin played in his decision.

“Me and Wolf go back years and years and years. I feel like, for me, it was a no-brainer going back to a guy that not only I know that he knows his stuff, but I can trust.”

While he is no longer going to war on the field for Colorado, the 22-year-old had nothing but high regards for his former coach Sanders, and expressed his gratitude for being able to play there.

“I was blessed enough to be able to go to Colorado and be given that chance by coach Sanders and play with Shedeur [Sanders], play with Travis [Hunter], LaJohntay [Wester], all my older teammates, Jimmy [Horn] and them,” he added.

“But this is the next chapter in my life. I’m here at LSU now, and I’m with Sam Leavitt. I’m with a bunch of my guys now, so I’m going to go to war with them and, like I said, we’re grinding right now.”

These comments are far more positive about his former team than when he spoke about his transfer to the Tigers on March 26, with some believing he was firing shots at his former team.

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“When I left Colorado, I felt like I was at a good point, but coming here, the transition from how I eat to how we work out here is just kind of different….My decision to come here was based on it just means more,” Seaton said.

“Being here is really just different from how we train to how we work…We’re big on extras around here. Just doing what’s required is not enough.”

The 2026 LSU offense will be entirely new and led by quarterback Sam Leavitt, who, like Seaton, transferred in over the off-season from Arizona State.

He replaces Garrett Nussmeier, who was selected in the seventh round – 249th overall – by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2026 NFL Draft and joins Justin Fields and two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes in the QB room.

Making the switch to the SEC for Seaton puts even more eyes on him as he bids to make his case for being a top NFL pick in the future.

For now, though, all things are going as planned.

“LSU has been going great for me, just being able to compete every day,” Seaton said. “My brothers build a new brotherhood and ultimately just get the grind. Get the grind in with my guys.”

The Tigers officially open their season at home against Clemson on September 5, but two weeks before Kiffin will lead his team out at his old stomping ground in Oxford, Mississippi against Ole Miss.

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