From the Brink to Redemption: Chase Lasater’s Journey from Lost Recruit to Fierce Competitor – Thanks to Lane Kiffin
Football is a relentless battlefield where dreams are either made or mercilessly shattered. But life? Life is the ultimate opponent, capable of blindsiding even the toughest warriors. One moment, you’re a high school phenom with scholarship offers from powerhouse programs, and the next, you’re watching everything crumble beneath you. That was Chase Lasater’s reality—a once-promising recruit who found himself spiraling, uncertain of what came next.
Then came a lifeline. Not just any lifeline, but one thrown by a man known for reviving careers, rewriting narratives, and betting on raw talent—Lane Kiffin.
A Star in the Making—Until He Wasn’t
Lasater was the prototype of a college football beast. Standing at a rock-solid 6’2” and weighing in at 236 pounds, he was a terror on both sides of the ball—possessing the agility of a linebacker and the brute force of a fullback. His physical gifts weren’t just impressive; they were undeniable. It didn’t take long for major programs to come calling.
His first real offer? The Michigan Wolverines. And not just any handshake-and-photo-op kind of offer—Jim Harbaugh himself made it clear he wanted Lasater. “Harbaugh didn’t even shake my hand. He grabbed the back of my neck to wrestle me,” Lasater recalled with a laugh. Classic Harbaugh. That moment felt like destiny, and without hesitation, Lasater verbally committed to Michigan, envisioning himself as the next great Wolverines linebacker.
But football is as much a mental game as it is physical. With rising hype came rising pressure, and somewhere along the way, the mistakes started piling up. “I didn’t make the right decisions… wasn’t the smartest at the time. I was young, I was dumb,” he admitted. One wrong turn led to another, and before he knew it, his once-bright future was slipping through his fingers. Michigan? Gone. Auburn? Off the table. The recruiting buzz? Fading fast.
Enter Lane Kiffin: The Coach Who Sees Beyond the Stats
Just when it seemed like Lasater had hit rock bottom, a call changed everything. On the other end? Lane Kiffin. And he wasn’t just offering a second chance—he was offering salvation.
“Lane Kiffin ended up saving my life,” Lasater revealed in a raw and emotional moment on Luke Cohn’s Cohn’s Cadence podcast. “He saved me, man. Took me in and got me to FAU.”
It was a whirlwind. Within a week, Lasater went from having nowhere to go to suiting up for Florida Atlantic University, learning under one of the sharpest minds in college football. And he didn’t take the opportunity lightly.
Lasater wasn’t just another body on the roster—he was a force. In 2020, he led FAU with 72 tackles, proving that his fall from grace wasn’t the end of his story. The next season, he switched to defensive end, racking up 34 tackles. By 2022, at Eastern Kentucky University, he exploded for 74 tackles in just six games. He wasn’t just surviving—he was thriving.
Beyond Football: From the Gridiron to the Cage to the Ice
But Lasater’s story wasn’t destined to end on the football field. After college, he took his aggression and athleticism to an entirely new arena—professional fighting. Trading helmets for gloves, he found himself training at the legendary Tiger Muay Thai gym in Thailand, the same facility that has sharpened some of the most dangerous combat sports athletes in the world.
And just when you thought his journey couldn’t get any wilder, he added yet another chapter—bobsledding. That’s right, from linebacker to MMA fighter to Team USA bobsled hopeful, Lasater is living proof that resilience knows no boundaries. The twists and turns of his career would make any Hollywood scriptwriter jealous. And none of it—none of it—happens without Lane Kiffin taking a chance on him.
The Kiffin Effect: A Coach Who Changes Lives
Kiffin’s time at FAU was nothing short of transformative. He didn’t just win—he built something special. In three seasons (2017-2019), he turned a struggling FAU squad into a Conference USA powerhouse, leading them to an 11-3 record and a dominant Boca Raton Bowl victory in his first year alone. But his real magic? Spotting talent where others saw risk.
Whether through recruiting, transfers, or giving second chances, Kiffin had an uncanny ability to elevate overlooked players. Just look at FAU’s offensive explosion under his watch—Devin Singletary became a touchdown machine, rushing for nearly 2,000 yards and 32 touchdowns in a single season. FAU wasn’t just winning; they were producing NFL talent.
Lasater was one of Kiffin’s projects—a player left behind by bigger programs, written off before his story was finished. But Kiffin didn’t just see a troubled recruit; he saw potential, a warrior who just needed guidance.
More Than Just a Game
College football today is a business. NIL deals, transfer portal chaos, and the constant search for the next five-star recruit have turned it into a machine where players are often treated like disposable assets. But every so often, a coach comes along who sees beyond the stat sheet.
Lane Kiffin was that guy for Chase Lasater.
For some, football is about trophies, records, and highlight reels. For Lasater, it was about redemption. It was about one coach believing in him when no one else did. And because of that belief, he didn’t just reclaim his career—he reclaimed his life.
Lasater’s journey isn’t just a football story; it’s a testament to resilience, second chances, and the power of one person’s faith in another. And as his wild career continues to unfold, one thing is clear—he’s just getting started.
