The LSU Football Transfer Portal Update: Who Have the Tigers Added? Who's Out?

Brian Kelly and the Tigers are all in with the Transfer Portal, hold the No. 2 portal class in America.

Dec 2, 2023; Charlotte, NC, USA; Florida State Seminoles defensive lineman Patrick Payton (11) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Louisville Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Brian Kelly and the LSU football staff continue asserting their dominance in the NCAA Transfer Portal with the program now up to 13 commitments during the first two weeks of the window.

Before the portal window opened, Kelly stated LSU would be "very aggressive" this month. Now, he's backing up his statements.

“We’ll be very aggressive,” Kelly said. “I think everybody that’s followed us knows that we weren’t very aggressive in the transfer portal [last offseason]. We put together a defensive line using minimal resources. We’ve really put ourselves in a position — and I’ll use this term loosely — to stay well under the cap, so we could be quite aggressive this year.

“And we will be very aggressive in that area, as well as bringing in 16 mid-years (early enrollees from the high school class). We’re gonna have 16 mid-years. We think that the program in terms of the culture and the standards are such that we can do that now, where we can bring in 16 freshmen and maybe one of, if not the largest, transfer portal classes as well.”

LSU has seen 17 members of the 2024 roster depart the program while bringing in 13 commitments to this point through the portal. Who's in? Who's out?

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

Meet the Transfers (13):

TE Bauer Sharp: Oklahoma

LSU picked up its first roster addition from the transfer portal on Friday as tight end Bauer Sharp has signed with the program. Sharp joins the Tigers after spending the 2024 season at Oklahoma where he led the Sooners in receptions and yards. Sharp’s final game at OU came two weeks ago in Tiger Stadium when he caught one pass for four yards in the Sooners’ 37-17 loss to LSU.

Prior to his year at Oklahoma, Sharp spent three years at Southeastern Louisiana. He signed with the Lions as a quarterback out of high school before transitioning to tight end as a redshirt freshman in 2022. In his one season at Oklahoma, Sharp started all 12 games for the Sooners, leading the team in both receptions (42) and yards (324). He scored two TDs.

CB Ja'Keem Jackson: Florida

Ja’Keem Jackson, a season-opening starter at cornerback for Florida this year, has signed with LSU. He comes to LSU after two years at Florida where he appeared in 13 games recording 11 tackles, four pass breakups and a quarterback hurry. He started the first two games of the 2024 season at cornerback for Florida before an ankle injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year.

In 2023 as a true freshman, Jackson appeared in 11 games, tallying seven tackles and three pass breakups. A native of Kissimmee, Fla., Jackson was a consensus four-star prospect at Osceola High School where he was named an ESPN Top 300 player and rated as the nation’s No. 3 overall cornerback by On3. As a senior, he helped lead his team to a 10-4 record and a semifinal appearance in the Florida high school playoffs.

WR Barion Brown: Kentucky

This is a big one for the Bayou Bengals. Brown is a Top-15 overall transfer in the portal with the program now locking in one of the top receivers available in the college version of free agency. Brown, a speedster who torches opponents with his freakish athleticism, heads to Baton Rouge with 122 career receptions for 1,528 total yards and 11 touchdowns in three seasons of college football.

The former Top-100 recruit has track speed that cannot be taught and it's what has made him a lethal weapon in Kentucky's offense over the last three years. Brown's five kick return touchdowns is an SEC record where he will become an instant impact player in the special teams facet for the Tigers

EDGE Jimari Butler: Nebraska

Jimari Butler, a standout defensive lineman during his four years at Nebraska, has signed with LSU. He appeared in 37 games for the Cornhuskers, starting 16 times, including 10 in 2024. He comes to LSU with 65 career tackles to go along with 17 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.

In 2024, Butler tallied 22 tackles, seven tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. During his All-Big Ten season in 2023, he had 34 tackles and led the team in both tackles for loss (8.5) and sacks (5.5). He was a key part of the 2023 Nebraska defense that limited opponents to 92.9 rushing yards per game and 18.3 points per game, the fewest for the program since joining the Big Ten in 2011.

QB Michael Van Buren: Mississippi State

The transfer signal-caller will join the Tigers after one season in Starkville where he completed his true freshman campaign with Mississippi State. In 10 appearances as a true freshman in 2024, Van Buren completed 140-of-256 passes for 1,886 yards and 11 touchdowns. He added another five rushing TDs for the Bulldogs.

Van Buren was a four-star recruit from St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, choosing Mississippi State over Oregon. He helped St. Frances Academy to back-to-back national Top 10 finishes in 2021 and 2022.

EDGE Jack Pyburn: Florida

The Florida transfer is fresh off of a 2024 season where he logged 60 total tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack and one interception while starting the last eight games of the year. In three seasons with the Gators, Pyburn logged 80 total tackles with his "coming out season" being in 2024.

Pyburn, the No. 4 rated edge rusher in the NCAA Transfer Portal, heads to Baton Rouge after three seasons with the Gators. Kelly and Co. were in dire need of talent in the trenches, and with Pyburn now in the mix, it provides the program with a proven body on the outside to make an immediate impact.

CB Mansoor Delane: Virginia Tech

The Virginia Tech transfer pledged to Brian Kelly and the Tigers on Monday after three seasons with the Hokies. During his time in the ACC, Delane tallied 146 tackles, 16 pass breakups, six interceptions and four forced fumbles.

In 2024, Delane had his "coming out party" after tallying four interceptions on the season while leading the Hokies in the category. Now, the No. 2 rated cornerback in the NCAA Transfer Portal is Baton Rouge bound to help the Tigers' defensive backfield.

WR Destyn Hill: Florida State

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

WR Nic Anderson: Oklahoma

LSU reeled in a commitment from the former Oklahoma star wideout on Tuesday night after going public with a decision. The No. 4 rated wideout in the NCAA Transfer Portal, along with being a Top 10 overall transfer, he's set to make his way to Baton Rouge for the 2025 season.

Anderson took a redshirt during his first season in Norman in 2022. Following his first season with Oklahoma, Anderson burst on the scene in 2023 as a redshirt-freshman. The coveted wideout set an Oklahoma freshman record with 38 receptions for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns. He averaged an eye-opening 21.0 yards per reception last year.

Punter Grant Chadwick: Middle Tennessee

The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder graded out as one of the top punters in America after blasting 51 punts in 2024 with an average of 43.4 yards per kick. Chadwick's long was 60 yards on the season as a true freshman.

DL Sydir Mitchell: Texas

The 6-foot-6, 350-pound New Jersey native signed with the Longhorns in the 2023 Recruiting Class with impressive expectations. The young defensive lineman with limited mileage played in only nine games with the Longhorns, including four games in 2024 to maintain redshirt status. He totaled seven tackles during his time in Austin. Mitchell will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.

EDGE Patrick Payton: Florida State

Payton, the No. 1 defensive player in the NCAA Transfer Portal, is currently on a visit to Baton Rouge with LSU sealing the deal on his trip to town. Once his name was officially in the system, 247Sports rated Payton as the No. 2 overall transfer and the No. 1 edge rusher in the market. He is the No. 1 defensive player in the portal.

The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder logged 109 tackles, 32 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, 12 pass breakups and three forced fumbles in three seasons with Florida State.

IOL Braelin Moore: Virginia Tech

Moore, the No. 1 rated interior offensive lineman in the NCAA Transfer Portal, heads to Baton Rouge after three seasons with the Hokies. Moore handled business as the starting center for the Hokies where he will now look to take on the same role in Baton Rouge for the Tigers.

The 6-foot-3, 303-pounder helped lead a Virginia Tech rushing attack that logged over 2,000 yards during the regular season. It's no secret LSU's run-blocking was a struggle in 2024, and with Moore in the mix, it'll give a boost in the trenches the Tigers need.

More LSU News:

The LSU Transfer Portal Update: Who's in? Who's out?

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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