DeBoer fires back at Kiffin over early LSU kickoff complaint.

LSU football is expected to receive some huge news and it'll be a really big win for Lane Kiffin.

The Tigers are hosting 2027 three-star linebacker JaMarquis Hudson for an official visit this weekend when Alabama comes to Baton Rouge.

Hudson has been committed to Kansas since June, but the feeling is that he is about to flip to LSU.

Rivals recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman has predicted that Hudson will flip from Kansas to LSU.

Hudson will be at the Alabama game on Saturday for his official visit.

“LSU has been watching my senior season and I’m excited about being back in my home state,” Hudson told Rivals this week.

“I’ve been watching LSU since I was a kid, and all of my family are naturally big fans of the Tigers being from Louisiana, so it’s just great ties and it fits perfectly.”

Hudson is a 6-foot-3, 180-pound linebacker from Port Arthur, Texas.

He is rated by 247Sports as the No. 32 linebacker in the nation.

The recruiting ranking is not overly impressive, but LSU sees Hudson as a difference maker.

Hudson previously visited LSU for the Tigers' win over Mississippi State last month.

That visit helped build momentum in this recruitment.

LSU has been watching Hudson's senior season closely.

The Tigers have strong ties to Louisiana natives, which Hudson mentioned as a key factor.

“All of my family are naturally big fans of the Tigers being from Louisiana,” he said.

This flip would be a significant win for Lane Kiffin and his staff.

It would also come at a crucial moment, with Alabama coming to town.

The Alabama game is one of the biggest recruiting weekends of the year for LSU.

Getting a commitment from a player like Hudson during that visit sends a strong message.

It shows that Kiffin can close on recruits even under the pressure of a marquee matchup.

The timing of the expected flip adds to the drama surrounding Saturday's game.

LSU and Alabama are both 6-2 this season.

The loser faces a more difficult path to the College Football Playoff.

Alabama was fifth in the selection committee's initial rankings.

LSU came in 14th.

Kiffin has also been dealing with other storylines this week.

He called the end of the annual Alabama-LSU series “sad.”

The longtime SEC opponents have played every season since 1964.

That streak will end after Saturday's game.

The series will resume in Tuscaloosa in 2028, but it will no longer be an annual fixture.

Kiffin said the change is driven by money.

“All the decisions, usually, I think all of them probably really come down to money,” Kiffin said Monday.

“Whether that’s the realignments, whether that’s the rivalries. So, I think it’s all sad in general in the big picture of things that money drives to make (changes to) such great traditions and rivalries.”

Despite the off-field noise, the game itself carries heavy stakes.

LSU's defense has emerged as a strength under defensive coordinator Blake Baker.

The Tigers allow just 16 points and 258.3 yards per game through eight contests.

They recorded a 31-0 shutout over Mississippi State, their first SEC shutout since 2007.

LSU held Auburn to 17 points with seven sacks and just 67 rushing yards.

Defensive lineman Jordan Ross had two sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss against Auburn.

Princewill Umanmielen added another sack in that game.

LSU ranks fifth nationally in total defense, eighth in rushing defense and 13th in passing defense.

For a program that entered the season with attention on Kiffin's offense, Baker's defense has quietly become a strength.