LSU Country

LSU Football Transfer Target, Sought-After Safety Reveals Commitment Decision

Brian Kelly and Co. remain in pursuit of talent in the safety room, Tigers remain on the prowl for depth.

Zack Nagy

Courtesy of Tawfiq Byard's Instagram.
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Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers remain active in the NCAA Transfer Portal with the program looking to add talent to the safety room for the 2025 season.

Kelly and Co. have been selective with their overall targets, but after securing 13 commitments to this point, the program has been successful with which transfers they turn the heat up for.

Last week, LSU hosted South Florida safety Tawfiq Byard for an official visit to campus where he had the chance to meet face-to-face with several coaches, check out campus and take in an LSU practice as they prepare for a bowl matchup against the Baylor Bears.

Byard burst on the scene in 2024 after tallying 54 tackles with a pair of sacks and an interception this fall.

Then, he took in multi-day stay with LSU.

"Going to LSU was definitely a big deal for me," Byard told LSU Tigers On SI. "One of my favorite safeties is [former LSU great] Grant Delpit so being able to have the ability to play for the same school and have a chance to play in front of their fans was definitely a good feeling."

LSU brought Byard to town last Monday where he spent a full day with the program. Fast forward to Tuesday and the visit continued going in a positive direction with a bowl practice setting.

The impressive defensive back has multiple schools on his radar during the Transfer Portal process. Byard visited Virginia Tech prior to his trip to LSU. Following a visit to LSU he then hit the road to Nashville to see what the Vanderbilt Commodores had to offer.

Then, with visits to Virginia Tech, LSU and Vanderbilt in the rearview mirror, Byard told LSU Tigers On SI that he checked in with Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffs last Friday for a multi-day stay.

Then, with four visits in the rearview mirror, Byard took time to mull over options with his camp and lock in on making a decision.

"I'll really think about the best fit for me. I'll have a decision by New Years for sure," Byard told LSU Tigers On SI.

But a decision came sooner than expected after Byard revealed a commitment to the Colorado Buffs on Tuesday after going public with a decision.

LSU remains in pursuit of help at the safety position. After reeling in commitments from a pair of cornerbacks in Mansoor Delane, the No. 2 rated corner available, and Ja'Keem Jackson (No. 8 CB), there remains a need for bodies in the safety room.

LSU has landed commitments from 13 transfers to this point while seeing 17 members of the 2024 roster depart Baton Rouge.

The Departures (17):

- Rickie Collins: Quarterback
- Landon Ibieta: Wide Receiver
- CJ Daniels: Wide Receiver
- Dashawn Womack: EDGE
- Jordan Allen: Safety
- Shelton Sampson: Wide Receiver
- Kylin Jackson: Defensive Back
- Xavier Atkins: Linebacker
- Jyaire Brown: Cornerback
- Bernard Causey: Cornerback
- Nathan Dibert: Kicker
- De'Myrion Johnson: Defensive Tackle
- Jk Johnson: Cornerback
- Ka'Morreun Pimpton: Tight End
- Jay'viar Suggs: Defensive Tackle
- Sage Ryan: Defensive Back
- AJ Swann: Quarterback

The Transfer Portal Additions:

The Additions on Offense (6):
- 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

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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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU program.

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Zack Nagy
ZACK NAGY

Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of LSU Country, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Tiger Football, Basketball, Baseball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving LSU athletics. 

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