“Team that’s ready to explode”: CFB analyst affirms faith in $35M worth Brian Kelly’s plans for LSU in 2025

Brian Kelly is hoping to get over the disappointment of last season in 2025. LSU finished the 2024 college football season with a 9-4 record, missing out on the expanded College Football Playoff. This led to fan outrage against the coach late in the season.

Ahead of the 2025 season, Cooper Petagna believes the Tigers are ready to achieve something big. Speaking on the “Ultimate College Football Show,” the analyst noted that Kelly has assembled a roster good enough to compete next season.

“This, without a doubt, on paper, is the most talented roster that I think he's ever had,” Petagna said. “You can go all the way back to his teams at Notre Dame, Cincinnati, this will be the team. With Garrett Nussmeier coming back for another year, [and] what they've done on the offensive line.

“And I think they have one of the top three, top two most talented receiving cores in all the country. Add in Caden Durham, this is a team that's ready to explode. And then you've got to look at the defense as well, what they've done there via the transfer portal.”

Brian Kelly, who has a net worth of $35 million (via Celebrity Net Worth), will aim to challenge for the SEC championship and secure a playoff spot.

Cooper Petagna believes Brian Kelly has a lot at stake in 2025

Toward the end of the 2024 college football season, there was a widespread call among LSU fans for Brian Kelly to be fired. With this in mind, Cooper Petagna feels the coach could lose his job if he fails to deliver results in his fourth season.

“It's year four,” Petagna said. “Listen, they're paying Brian Kelly a lot of money, [and there’s] a lot of expectations coming down from Notre Dame. And a lot of LSU fans saying, ‘Hold on, are we good with this? Scott Woodward, AD over there in Baton Rouge, ‘Is this the right guy?’

“And it seems through three years, he has raised the floor of the program. What I mean by that, this has been a team that has consistently hung around 9, 10 wins, which I think has been a sore spot for LSU.”

The Tigers play on the road at Clemson early in the season. They also have a host of tough road conference schedules, including Alabama, Oklahoma and Ole Miss, posing significant challenges for the team.