LSU Football Officially Signs a Pair of Coveted Transfer Portal Commitments

Brian Kelly and Co. receive the necessary paperwork from a pair of portal commitments, make things official.

Courtesy of Destyn Hill's Instagram.

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers hold the No. 1 Transfer Portal Class in America with the program reeling in 14 commitments to this point.

It's been an eventful offseason for Kelly and Co. after seeing 19 members of the 2024 roster depart Baton Rouge, but reinforcements are on the way for the Bayou Bengals.

LSU has added immediate impact players on both sides of the ball headlined by Oklahoma wide receiver Nic Anderson and Florida State edge rusher Patrick Payton.

Factor in other breakout candidates heading to The Boot and it places Kelly's program in a position to be competitive next season.

LSU had received the paperwork from 12 of the 14 commitments heading into the week with the final two submitting the necessary documents on Tuesday.

Who have the Tigers now officially signed to this point?

A look into the pair of transfers that submitted the documents on Tuesday and the official signing class to this point.

The Pair of Transfer Portal Signees:

Josh Thompson: Top-10 Offensive Lineman in the Portal

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers landed a commitment from Northwestern transfer Josh Thompson in December after going public with a decision.

Thompson, the No. 1 uncommitted interior offensive lineman in the NCAA Transfer Portal at the time of his pledge, selected LSU over Tennessee down the stretch in his recruitment.

It quickly became another tremendous get by Kelly and Co. in order to land Thompson's services.

The 6-foot-5, 301-pounder was rated as the No. 2 offensive lineman in the Big Ten, according to PFF, with several programs expressing significant interest.

The Tigers will lose four starters in total on the offensive line this offseason with Will Campbell off to the 2025 NFL Draft along with Emery Jones. Starting guards Garrett Dellinger and Miles Frazier are set to begin the next chapter after exercising all eligibility.

The departing players made it that much more important for LSU to sign offensive linemen via the Transfer Portal market. Thompson joins Virginia Tech interior offensive lineman Braelin Moore as the additions in the trenches to this point.

Thompson has now signed the necessary paperwork with the university, according to Pete Nakos of On3 Sports. The signing makes things official on both ends.

Destyn Hill: Coveted Florida State Wide Receiver

Hill, a former Top-100 wide receiver in the 2021 recruiting cycle, returns home after a stint with the Seminoles.

"It's a big support system, a bigger opportunity to get better with more resources, and the main thing – it's all about getting better and getting one step closer to the NFL," Hill said of his decision. "I'm going to WRU."

A 2021 recruit, Hill did not enroll with Florida State until 2023 where he made things official with the program. That year, he reeled in six receptions for 87 yards with an 14.5 yards per catch average.

Prior to the 2024 season, Hill suffered an injury and missed the entire year. After playing just one season of college football to this point, he will have multiple years of eligibility remaining with LSU.

It's a move that Kelly and Co. feel will have tremendous upside. Hill was one of the top prospects in Louisiana out of high school and was former teammates with current LSU wide receiver Aaron Anderson.

Hill is a speedster that immediately provides LSU with a player that can take the top off of a defense.

The Path to the Boot

Transfer wide receiver Destyn Hill is officially a Tiger! pic.twitter.com/YWDNvWTxJl

— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) January 8, 2025

Once the former Florida State wideout's name was in the portal, LSU was immediately linked to the transfer with a high ceiling. Now, the Louisiana native returns home after a rollercoaster college career this point.

After being committed to the program since Dec. 17 without signing the necessary paperwork to make things official, the LSU football program has revealed the signing is complete. Hill will enroll with the university.

Who have the Tigers gained commitments from?

The Additions on Offense (7):
- TE Bauer Sharp: Oklahoma
- WR Barion Brown: Kentucky
- QB Michael Van Buren: Mississippi State
- WR Destyn Hill: Florida State
- WR Nic Anderson: Oklahoma
- OL Braelin Moore: Virginia Tech
- OL Josh Thompson: Northwestern

The Additions on Defense (6):
- CB Ja'Keem Jackson: Florida
- EDGE Jimari Butler: Nebraska
- EDGE Jack Pyburn: Florida
- CB Mansoor Delane: Virginia Tech
- DL Sydir Mitchell: Texas
- EDGE Patrick Payton: Florida State

The Special Teams Additions (1):
Punter Grant Chadwick: Middle Tennessee

More LSU News:

LSU Adds Commitments From Seven Top-100 Transfers in the Portal

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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