LSU Country

The Latest on the No. 4 EDGE in the Portal, LSU Football Target Jack Pyburn

Brian Kelly and the Bayou Bengals continue searching for defensive line help, ramping up push for an SEC starter.

Zack Nagy

Courtesy of Jack Pyburn's Instagram.
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Brian Kelly and the LSU staff continue their pursuit of reinforcements on defense this month with the NCAA Transfer Portal officially open for business.

The Tigers will see the defensive end tandem of Sai'vion Jones and Bradyn Swinson depart Baton Rouge for the 2025 NFL Draft after exercising their eligibility.

Along with the pair of starters gone, LSU saw former five-star defensive end Dashawn Womack elect to enter the portal and sign with the Ole Miss Rebels.

Now, the Tigers are left with a lack of depth when it comes to their edge rushers as the program shifts focus to stacking talent via the portal.

A new name has emerged for LSU: Florida's Jack Pyburn.

The Gators' starting EDGE during the 2024 season tallied 60 total tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble and an interception.

A player who was an integral piece to Florida's defense this season, he's now opted to enter the college version of "free agency" and test his luck elsewhere.

Pyburn has set a pair of official visits with his name now in the portal.

He will visit Texas A&M on Dec. 13-14 and LSU on Dec. 14-15. The pair of visits are locked in with more preparing to be added to the schedule, according to On3 Sports' Hayes Fawcett. Fawcett was the first to report the visit schedule.

Now, Pyburn will gear up for a visit to Baton Rouge in less than 24 hours where Kelly and Co. will look to roll out the red carpet for the impactful edge rusher.

It's no secret LSU is in the market for impactful pieces to the defense with near double-digit starters from the 2024 season either entering the portal or preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Along with Pyburn, who else is LSU targeting for defensive line help via the NCAA Transfer Portal?

Two Targets to Know: Purdue's Will Heldt and Kent State's Kam Olds

DE Will Heldt: Purdue

One name to keep tabs on will be Purdue edge rusher Will Heldt as he begins navigating his process after officially entering the NCAA Transfer Portal on Monday.

Heldt, a standout sophomore for the Boilermakers, burst on the scene in 2024 after a monster second season in West Lafayette.

After appearing in all 12 games as a freshman in 2023, Heldt took that next step and made a name for himself this fall in his second season with Purdue. He logged 56 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss and five sacks for his squad.

The 6-foot-6, 265-pounder was named a Big Ten Honorable Mention by the coaches after breaking out in 2024.

Now, the visits are being lined up with LSU getting a crack at Heldt first.

He visited the Tigers earlier this week and will also check in with Texas A&M in the coming days, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. The Clemson Tigers are also on the itinerary.

Kelly and Co. will lose the defensive end tandem of Sai'vion Jones and Bradyn Swinson this offseason as they begin the next chapter of their playing careers.

What does that mean for LSU? Hit the portal with force and find immediate impact players this month. That starts with Heldt making his way to Baton Rouge for a visit in the coming days.

DE Kam Olds: Kent State

On Monday, we saw the LSU staff dish out the second Transfer Portal offer after extending a scholarship to Kent State defensive end Kameron Olds.

The fast-rising defensive end prospect wrapped up his third season with the Golden Flashes after accumulating 42 total tackles with six sacks and an interception in 2024.

Olds burst on the scene rather quickly once his name was officially in the portal with the prized transfer hauling in offers from LSU, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Virginia, among others, on Monday.

Now, LSU will look to get the impactful defensive lineman to Baton Rouge for a visit next week.

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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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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