Lane Kiffin highlights recruiter Lane Kiffin’s running backs coach Kevin Smith after LSU’s push for a top in-state RB

LSU coach Lane Kiffin’s summer recruiting focus has produced a storyline that assistant coaches rarely get to own publicly, and this one is built around Kevin Smith. According to reports this week, Smith helped swing LSU’s chances for a prized 2027 running back prospect in South Carolina after LSU had not been positioned to lead the recruiting story early on.

The recruit in question is Tre Segarra, a four-star running back from Duncan, South Carolina. A to Z Sports reported that the 5-foot-10, 205-pound prospect is ranked No. 6 at his position in the 2027 class and No. 119 overall in 247Sports’ composite rankings, and is also rated as the No. 2 player in the state of South Carolina. Those rankings matter in a crowded SEC recruiting landscape because top-end backfield talent can shape both offensive identity and recruiting momentum for multiple cycles.

In the reporting, the “before” picture was blunt for LSU. A to Z Sports said LSU was not originally set to receive Segarra on an official visit, and that the perceived favorites early were the Tennessee Volunteers and the South Carolina Gamecocks. That context is important because official visits often report where a school truly expects to contend, while visits can also change the order of recruiting priority for prospects and their families.

The “turn” described in the reports is tied to Smith’s in-person outreach. A to Z Sports wrote that Smith visited Segarra’s home in May and pitched the idea of LSU to Segarra and his family even though LSU was not on his official visit slate at the time. The same report says that within about a month, LSU moved into the lead and that “a decision might not be far off,” citing 247Sports recruiting coverage associated with the process.

The mechanics of that kind of swing are familiar to college football recruiting watchers. When a school makes a targeted contact outside the typical visit structure, it can change a prospect’s timeline and narrow the decision window before other schools lock in their visits and in-person evaluations. It also provides a recruiting blueprint for coaches who can translate relationships into urgency. A to Z Sports framed it as a major reason Kiffin brought Smith along from Ole Miss, emphasizing Smith’s recruiting ability as well as on-field work.

For LSU, the practical impact is straightforward: adding a top running back prospect would strengthen a position group that plays a central role in most SEC offenses, particularly in how coaches sell scheme fit and development. For Segarra’s current top contenders, the reports also suggest that Tennessee and South Carolina must defend their perceived advantage, especially if LSU’s staff is able to convert early home visits into a formal commitment.

No matter how confident the reporting sounds, recruiting is still fluid until the prospect signs with a school. LSU’s position could change depending on whether other programs reinforce their pitch with additional in-person communication, official visit timing, or follow-up evaluation. Still, the story here is the clearest example yet of an assistant coach’s recruiting traction becoming the primary driver of a team’s recruiting momentum in the SEC’s ongoing talent arms race.