LSU Country

LSU Football Commit Flips to South Carolina, Signs with the Gamecocks

LSU tight end pledge Mike Tyler has flipped his commitment to South Carolina, signs with the hometown program.

Zack Nagy

Courtesy of Mike Tyler's Instagram.
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Columbia (S.C.) Hammond tight end Mike Tyler revealed a commitment to Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers over the summer after a hard recruiting push in June.

Since then, the South Carolina native has become a hot commodity on the recruiting trail with the in-state Gamecocks taking a stab at the hometown stud.

Tyler, a three-star tight end, is a player that has college coaches salivating at the potential as a recieving tight end at the next level.

He's reeled in offers from several East Coast schools including South Carolina, Duke and West Virginia, among several others.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder has wrapped up an impressive senior campaign where he saw the South Carolina coaching staff continue ramping up their push.

Now, Tyler has revealed his decision: He's flipped his commitment from the LSU Tigers to the South Carolina Gamecocks on National Signing Day.

It's the first flips news for the LSU Tigers on Wednesday, but a move that didn't catch the program by surprise.

Tyler, a Columbia (S.C.) native, had been trending in that direction for quite some time. LSU has already received the paperwork for a 2025 tight end commitment already on Wednesday with Louisiana stud JD LaFleur making things official.

With Tyler out and LaFleur in, the staff will continue evaluating options via the NCAA Transfer Portal in hopes of bringing in another tight end.

The expectation is that junior Mason Taylor will depart for the 2025 NFL Draft, which will leave LSU with LaFleur, Trey'Dez Green and Ka'Morreun Pimpton.

LSU has already dished out a portal offer to a tight end.

The Offer: Zach Atkins

Northwest Missouri State tight end Zach Atkins received an offer from Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers on Thursday evening, he revealed via social media.

The coveted tight end entered the NCAA Transfer Portal with a slew of premier programs extending offers with LSU now in on the action.

Atkins has received scholarships from LSU, South Carolina, Ole Miss and Arkansas, among several others, with SEC programs reaching out.

The 6-foot-5, 235-pound pass catcher is an intriguing prospect. He's fresh off of dominating the DII level as a blocking tight end and it's clear LSU will be in search of one this portal season.

Atkins redshirted during the 2022 season then hauled in 12 catches for 181 yards in eight games in 2023.

Fast forward to this season in 2024 and he’s tallied 18 receptions for 179 yards and three touchdowns.

He's the first reported offer from LSU via the NCAA Transfer Portal and it will certainly be at a position of need.

All signs point towards star tight end Mason Taylor entering the 2025 NFL Draft after a stellar career in Baton Rouge; leaving LSU with Ka'Morreun Pimpton and Trey'Dez Green returning next season.

LSU previously had a pair of 2025 commitments at the tight end position in JD LaFleur and Mike Tyler, but Tyler revealed on National Signing Day that he would remain home to suit up for the hometown South Carolina Gamecocks.

For Atkins, he was in Oxford last weekend for a visit to Ole Miss and will also be looking to make his way to Fayetteville to check in with the Arkansas Razorbacks sooner rather than later.

He's become the hottest name on the tight end market over the last few weeks with the DII star looking to provide programs with a versatile piece to offensive schemes.

Brian Kelly's Portal Approach:

“The transfer portal will not go away,” Kelly said on Monday. “The transfer portal will be something we have to investigate and look at. I do not want a program that is built on the portal. We have to rely on young players. We are playing a lot of young players right now. A lot of first year players, those that have been here for a very short period of time. We have 19 coming in at mid semester, so we’re still going to be playing some younger players, but there needs to be the right mix and right balance. 

“The transfer portal will be something that will be examined closely and if we feel like there’s a particular need there to balance our football team, we’re certainly going to be invested in that.”

It'll be an interesting next few months for Kelly and the LSU staff. The shot-caller for the Tigers doesn't appear interested on loading up on talent from a quantity perspective, but the quality-level certainly must change.

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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