Football is a brutal game, but life? Life will blindside you worse than an unblocked edge rusher. One minute you’re a highly recruited high school player with dreams of suiting up for Michigan, the next, you’re watching it all slip through your fingers, wondering what just happened. That’s exactly where Chase Lasater found himself — until one man threw him a lifeline. And that man? The former Florida Atlantic coach and current Ole Miss HC – Lane Kiffin.

On February 18th, Lasater hopped on former FAU QB Luke Cohn’s ‘Cohn’s Cadence’ podcast and kept it real about his wild journey through college football, his mistakes, and how Kiffin changed his life when he needed it the most. The former FAU linebacker/fullback didn’t sugarcoat a thing, breaking down how he went from a top recruit to nearly losing it all — until Kiffin stepped in.

Lasater was a dawg coming out of high school. Standing at 6’2”, 236 pounds, he was a freak athlete who could move like a linebacker and hit like a fullback. The man was a dual-threat nightmare. “My first real, legitimate offer was Michigan,” Lasater recalled after getting a 102 rating at Nike’s opening combine. “Jim Harbaugh… man, he didn’t even shake my hand. He grabbed the back of my neck to wrestle me because he heard I was a wrestler.” Ain’t gonna lie, something that Harbaugh would do.

Chase Lasater’s literally locked into Michigan, even verbally committing on the spot. Auburn came knocking, home visits stacked up, and his stock was rising fast. But then, the mistakes came. “I didn’t make the right decisions… wasn’t the smartest at the time. I was young… was dumb,” he admitted. Recruiting hype turned into missed opportunities, and suddenly, he was left in the dust. No Michigan. No Auburn. Just uncertainty.

Just when things looked bleak and dark, Lane Kiffin came through like a 4th-quarter miracle drive. “Lane Kiffin ended up saving my life, Saved me, man, he took me in and got me to FAU.” It happened fast — within a week, Lasater was suiting up for the Owls, getting a fresh start under one of the sharpest minds in college football. “Man, shout out to Lane Kiffin. Good man.” Lasater gave props and love. Ain’t gonna lie, you could literally hear the gratitude in his voice.

Chase Lasater was a straight-up menace on the field. He crushed it at FAU, leading the team with 72 tackles in 2020. In 2021, he switched things up, moving to defensive end, and still racked up 34 tackles. By 2022, at EKU, he dropped 74 tackles in just 6 games. A two-time All-Conference type of player.

Lasater wasn’t a star, but he was part of the machine. And more importantly, he was getting his life back on track. Lasater’s story didn’t end at FAU. After college, he pivoted into a whole different world — professional fighting. Training at the world-renowned Tiger Muay Thai gym in Thailand, he took his linebacker mentality straight into the cage. And now? He’s got another wild twist in his journey — training with the Team USA bobsled squad. From Michigan recruit to FAU grinder to MMA fighter to bobsledder — talk about a crazy resume! Bet you can’t have a cooler resume than that. And none of it happens without Lane Kiffin.

Lane Kiffin’s FAU run

Kiffin was no stranger to finding diamonds in the rough. His FAU tenure (2017–2019) was a masterclass in turning overlooked talent into legit ballers. In his 1st season, he took a struggling FAU squad and flipped them into an 11-3 Conference USA powerhouse, capping it off with a Boca Raton Bowl beatdown. His secret weapon? Knowing how to bring in the right guys, whether through recruiting, the transfer portal, or straight-up trusting players when others wouldn’t.

At FAU, Lasater became a Swiss Army knife on the field. Linebacker, fullback, special teams — whatever was needed — he did it. And that’s what made Kiffin different. He didn’t just recruit talent — he developed it. Under Kiffin’s watch, FAU’s offense exploded, Devin Singletary turned into a touchdown machine, where he rushed for 1900 yards and 32 tuddies in the 2017 season, and the Owls racked up 2 Conference USA titles in 3 years. Talk about supremacy.

Look, College football has completely turned into a full white-collar business with all that NIL stuff. Coaches cycle through players like a never-ending draft, always looking for the next five-star stud. But every once in a while, you get a coach who actually sees the person behind the jersey. That’s what Kiffin did for Lasater. He took a kid who was lost and gave him a second chance. And Lasater didn’t just take it — he ran with it.

That’s the thing about football. It’s never just about the game. It’s about the lessons, the grind, and the people who bet on you when no one else will. And for Chase Lasater, Lane Kiffin was that guy. A coach. A mentor. And, as Lasater himself put it — the man who saved his life.