Brian Kelly: LSU Football Will 'Most Likely' Add a Quarterback This Offseason

Kelly and Co. lost the commitment of Bryce Underwood last week, will still look to add a signal-caller this offseason.

Tigers Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier 13 throws a pass as the LSU Tigers take on the Vanderbilt Commodores. Nov 23, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; at Tiger Stadium. / SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers saw their top-ranked commitment in the 2025 Recruiting Class shift gears and flip his pledge to the Michigan Wolverines last Thursday.

Bryce Underwood, the top-ranked quarterback in America, made the decision to stay home and suit up for Sherrone Moore and the Wolverines.

Now, for Kelly and Co., it's left the program in a unique position when it comes to building up the quarterback room for the future.

On Monday, Kelly dove into the thought process of the coaching staff and their approach in the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason.

A look into where Kelly's head is at and options for the Bayou Bengals:

Brian Kelly's Thoughts:

Kelly addressed the media on Monday where he dove into the Transfer Portal process and thoughts on the quarterback room:

"We'll most likely take a quarterback again this year. We look at the calendar year a little bit differently than just December. We have a February signing period. We have a Transfer Portal.

"So, we'll continue to look at that and see how that best fits our roster, but I can tell you this: The overall roster is much more important than just one particular position. As much as we want to take a quarterback, I think what's most important is the overall health of the roster.

"If it ends up being that we do take a quarterback, but our entire focus is on the overall strength of the roster."

What will be the approach? Diving into a few options:

Garrett Nussmeier's Return in 2025 Imperative

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has had a rollercoaster season for the Bayou Bengals in his first year as the starter in Baton Rouge.

Despite ranking Top-10 nationally with 3,126 passing yards and 22 passing touchdowns, the general expectation is that Nussmeier will return for another season with the LSU Tigers.

There was a growing sense earlier in the year that as his success grew, he'd be "foolish" to bypass an opportunity to likely be selected in the 1st Round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but late season struggles has hurt his draft stock.

Now, the expectation is that Nussmeier's current draft value is as a Day 2 selection.

LSU has managed only 17.3 points per game over the last three contests against Texas A&M, Alabama and Florida. It's been a flat out brutal stretch offensively with Nussmeier at the helm, but not all blame can go on the first-year starter.

Over the past three games, the Tigers rank 92nd in sacks per dropback (7.1%), 113th in turnover rate (3.0%), 120th in success rate (35.5%) and 122nd in percentage of plays gaining zero or negative yards (39.0%). All statistics according to ESPN.

The average air yards per completion: 3.3 (100th) - which has crushed the explosive play ability of the LSU offense.

We've seen the development LSU is capable of. The proof is in the product with Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels taking that next step from their first year as the starter into their second season. Both ended with Heisman Trophy's under their belt.

All signs point towards Nussmeier returning to Baton Rouge in 2025 as the signal-caller, but what happens then? Will LSU want to bring in another player via the high school ranks? Will the Tigers attack the transfer portal?

Evaluating the Addition Options:

Flip a Current 2026 Commitment and Reclassify

There's a growing sense that LSU will not look to add a quarterback to the 2025 Recruiting Class with the recent news of Bryce Underwood flipping his commitment to the Michigan Wolverines on Thursday evening.

It's simple, LSU had all their eggs in one basket for the No. 1 player in America, and it ultimately went south.

LSU's current quarterback room consists of Nussmeier, Vanderbilt transfer AJ Swann, redshirt-freshman Rickie Collins and true freshman Colin Hurley.

The expectation is that one (or two) signal-callers on the current roster enter the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason, leaving LSU with a hole needing to be filled.

When looking ahead to a player that could sign with LSU in 2025, it's current Michigan commitment Brady Hart, according to On3 Sports.

Hart is rated the No. 7 quarterback in the 2026 cycle with reclassification on the table. LSU has been in contact with the Florida native, but will they push for a potential flip with him reclassifying? Time will tell.

Attack the Transfer Portal

LSU will likely add a quarterback via the NCAA Transfer Portal, sources tell LSU Tigers On SI, with the program looking to add a veteran to the mix.

Nussmeier currently has the keys to the car, but with struggles down the stretch, it wouldn't come as a surprise to see Brian Kelly and Co. bring in another player to compete for the starting job to push Nussmeier.

It's clear Kelly has a "type" in the Transfer Portal: Players with Louisiana ties.

There are a pair of names that come to mind when evaluating signal-callers with Louisiana ties that are succeeding at the Power Four level: Eli Holstein (Pittsburgh) and Zeon Chriss (Houston).

Holstein, a prospect who was rated as the top quarterback in the Bayou State during his prep career, is lighting it up with the Panthers this season. Could he enter the portal and be an option? Time will tell.

For Chriss, he was rated as the No. 2 quarterback in Louisiana in the 2022 class. LSU elected to take five-star quarterback Walker Howard in the class where he eventually transferred to Ole Miss after one season.

Chriss is currently shining for the Houston Cougars, and could very well stay in the Lone Star State, but is another potential option.

If Kelly elects to go national and bypass a quarterback with Louisiana ties, as he did with Jayden Daniels during his first offseason in Baton Rouge, the options are endless.

The NCAA Transfer Portal has become the new normality in college sports with a slew of signal-callers likely set to enter the free agent market following the 2024 season.

All signs point towards LSU sticking with Nussmeier in 2025, but the future of the quarterback room will certainly have question marks next to it down the line.

More LSU News:

Paul Finebaum: LSU, Brian Kelly in a "Really Bad Spot" Moving Forward

LSU Dishes Out Offer to No. 1 Quarterback in America

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

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