LSU Football Hauls in Nine Top-100 Transfers in the Portal, No. 1 Overall Class
Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers have displayed an "all in" approach through the NCAA Transfer Portal during the winter window with the program holding the No. 1 class in the country.
Kelly and Co. are up to 16 additions via the free agent market, and after filling positions of need, have stolen headlines as a team on the rise ahead of the 2025 season.
It's clear the standard in Baton Rouge is not 8-4 following a challenging 2024 season for the program.
Now, LSU has upped the ante on the NIL side of things in order to piece together a competitive roster heading into year four of the "Kelly Era" in Louisiana.
"It has put us in a position where we can be aggressive on anybody that comes into the portal. And that simply wasn’t the case before,” Kelly said of the new NIL approach in December.
“I’m not saying this particular match did that, but I think it really sent a message to everybody that this is where we are today. And if we want to be where we all want to be in terms of putting our roster together, we all have to step up. It started with me, and I think our fanbase responded equally.”
LSU has eight players rated as Top-100 transfers, according to 247Sports, heading to Baton Rouge this portal cycle headlined by the No. 3 overall transfer, Patrick Payton.
The Top-100 Signees:
- Florida State EDGE Patrick Payton: No. 3
- Oklahoma WR Nic Anderson: No. 14
- Kentucky WR Barion Brown: No. 22
- Virginia Tech CB Mansoor Delane: No. 47
- Florida EDGE Jack Pyburn: No. 54
- Virginia Tech IOL Braelin Moore: No. 61
- Northwestern OL Josh Thompson: No. 74
- Florida CB Ja'Keem Jackson: No. 91
*Note: Tamarcus Cooley is yet to be ranked by 247Sports. On3 Sports has the recent LSU commitment as the No. 2 safety in the NCAA Transfer Portal.*
LSU has brought in 16 newcomers to this point with 19 departures from the 2024 roster. What has the offseason looked like for Kelly and the program?
The Offseason Moves:
The 2024 Departures (19):
- Rickie Collins: Quarterback (Syracuse)
- Landon Ibieta: Wide Receiver
- CJ Daniels: Wide Receiver (Miami)
- Dashawn Womack: EDGE (Ole Miss)
- Jordan Allen: Safety (Houston)
- Shelton Sampson: Wide Receiver (Louisiana-Lafayette)
- Kylin Jackson: Defensive Back (TCU)
- Xavier Atkins: Linebacker (Auburn)
- Jyaire Brown: Cornerback (UCF)
- Bernard Causey: Cornerback (Georgia State)
- Nathan Dibert: Kicker (Eastern Michigan)
- De'Myrion Johnson: Defensive Tackle
- JK Johnson: Cornerback (Oklahoma State)
- Ka'Morreun Pimpton: Tight End (TCU)
- Jay'viar Suggs: Defensive Tackle (Wisconsin)
- Sage Ryan: Defensive Back (Ole Miss)
- AJ Swann: Quarterback (App State)
- Kimo Makane'ole: Defensive Lineman (West Virginia)
- Jalen Lee: Defensive Lineman (UNLV Rebels)
LSU holds the No. 1 Transfer Portal Class with their elite-level recruiting efforts paired with the ability to provide prospects with the appropriate NIL packages.
Who have the Tigers gained commitments from?
The Additions on Offense (8):
- 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
- OL Josh Thompson: Northwestern
- TE Donovan Green: Texas A&M
The Additions on Defense (7):
- 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
- S Tamarcus Cooley: North Carolina 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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