LSU Country

The Recap: LSU Football Lands Five Transfer Portal Commitments in 48-Hour Stretch

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers remain scorching hot in the NCAA Transfer Portal, add commitment No. 5 on Sunday.

Zack Nagy

Nov 2, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. (0) reacts after a touchdown against the Massachusetts Minutemen during the second quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images
Nov 2, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. (0) reacts after a touchdown against the Massachusetts Minutemen during the second quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images / Matt Bush-Imagn Images
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Brian Kelly and the LSU football staff have hit the NCAA Transfer Portal with force during the first week of the window being open.

Kelly and Co. have secured five commitments over a 48-hour stretch that began on Friday afternoon with the news of Oklahoma tight end Bauer Sharp making the move to Baton Rouge.

Following the news of Sharp, the LSU program carried the portal momentum into Saturday where the Tigers landed a trio of commitments.

Then, the good news continued into Sunday with the Bayou Bengals reeling in Mississippi State quarterback Michael Van Buren as the heir apparent to current signal-caller Garrett Nussmeier.

Kelly and the LSU staff have now landed five players via the NCAA Transfer Portal during the first week of the window being open.

Who's in for the purple and gold?

Meet LSU's First Five Portal Additions

The Friday Signee: Oklahoma TE Bauer Sharp

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.

Bauer caught eight passes for 53 yards and a TD in a 24-16 loss to Ole Miss. He opened the 2024 season with five receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown in his Oklahoma debut against Temple.

A native of Dothan, Ala., Bauer appeared in 25 games at Southeastern Louisiana, starting 10 times. He earned first-team All-Southland Conference honors in 2023.

As a redshirt freshman in 2022, he helped Southeastern to a 9-4 mark, the Southland Conference title and a second round appearance in the FCS Playoffs.

During his career with the Lions, Bauer caught 40 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 216 yards and five scores.

The Saturday Signees: Ja'Keem Jackson, Barion Brown and Jimari Butler

CB Ja'Keem Jackson: Florida

Ja’Keem Jackson, a season-opening starter at cornerback for Florida this year, has signed with LSU.

Jackson joined tight end Bauer Sharp as LSU’s first two transfer portal additions for the 2025 season.

Jackson 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

Brown announced his intentions to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal after three seasons in Lexington with the Tigers swooping in and securing his services rather quickly.

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.

Along with being a threat in the receiving game, Brown can be used as a Swiss Army Knife as well. He rushed for 195 yards and two touchdowns during his time in Lexington while also serving as a kick returner with five more touchdowns in that facet of the game.

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

Brown ranks as a Top-5 wide receiver in the NCAA Transfer Portal with significant SEC experience and the potential to be a WR1 for the LSU Tigers in 2025.

EDGE Jimari Butler: Nebraska

Jimari Butler, a standout defensive lineman during his four years at Nebraska, has signed with LSU.

Butler, a native of Mobile, Ala., joins the Tigers after twice being named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll as well as earning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore in 2023.

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.

The Sunday Commitment: QB Michael Van Buren (Mississippi State)

Brian Kelly and the LSU football staff landed a commitment from Mississippi State transfer Michael Van Buren on Sunday, he announced via social media.

The coveted quarterback earned the starting job in 2024 as a true freshman for the Bulldogs where he tallied 1,886 passing yards and 16 total touchdowns in nine games.

After one season in Starkville, Van Buren elected to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal with a slew of Power Four programs expressing interest in the SEC starter.

Now, after one week in the college version of "free agency," Van Buren has made his move: He'll join the LSU Tigers for the 2025 season.

Van Buren is rated as the No. 10 quarterback in the Transfer Portal where he will provide LSU with a critical backup quarterback behind returning starter Garrett Nussmeier.

Nussmeier revealed his intentions to stay in Baton Rouge for the 2025 season this week, but with a razor thin room for the Tigers, Van Buren's commitment is a big one for the program.

Now, LSU adds the prized transfer with SEC experience as a true freshman.

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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