LSU Football Labeled a "Transfer Portal Winner" with No. 1 Class in America

Brian Kelly and Co. continue receiving recognition for top-ranked portal class, retooling roster in Baton Rouge.

Nov 30, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly looks on against the Oklahoma Sooners during the second quarter at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers won the Transfer Portal window after reeling in the No. 1 overall class headlined by 14 additions heading to Baton Rouge.

Kelly and the staff were in need of critical pieces to retool the roster, and with several heavy-hitters heading to town, it's been an effective run.

Now, LSU has been labeled a "Transfer Portal winner" by CBS Sports after reeling in the No. 1 class, according to 247Sports.

"What they've been able to do, I think, is really, really encouraging from somebody that follows the program, and seems like a team Year 3 under Brian Kelly that had a lot more holes than you would expect," 247Sports national scouting analyst Cooper Petagna said. "But from a roster-management standpoint, I think they've done a good job to plug a lot of those questions marks going into the offseason and obviously still some work left to do."

LSU has eight Top-100 signees with five in the Top-50. Which transfers are the highest-rated? Who makes up the class?

A look into the five highest-rated signees and a look into the 14 newcomers.

The Five Highest-Rated Signees:

EDGE Patrick Payton: No. 2 Overall

Payton, the No. 1 defensive player in the NCAA Transfer Portal, was on a visit to Baton Rouge in December where LSU sealed the deal on his lone trip to town.

Once his name was officially in the system last month, 247Sports rated Payton as the No. 2 overall transfer and the No. 1 edge rusher in the market. He was labeled 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.

WR Nic Anderson: No. 11 Overall

The Tigers were in need of securing a true WR1 through the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason, and with Oklahoma transfer Nic Anderson now in with LSU, the program has reeled in their pivotal piece to the receiving corps.

Anderson is a major get for the program. Kelly and Co. already hold multiple speedsters in the wide receiver room, but the ability to add a tall, physical wideout of his caliber was important.

The Oklahoma star set the Oklahoma freshman record for touchdown receptions with 10 in 2023. His 798 receiving yards that year rank No. 2 in Oklahoma history for a freshman.

In two years with the Sooners, Anderson appeared in 17 games with six starts, all coming as a redshirt freshman in 2023. Anderson missed the entire 2024 season with an injury.

He earned Freshman All-America honors from The Athletic in 2023 and was twice named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week. Anderson had three 100-yard games with a career-high 120 yards on three receptions against Tulsa. All three of his receptions against Tulsa went for touchdowns.

WR Barion Brown: No. 18 Overall

Brown went public with a decision to sign with the LSU Tigers in mid-December after a quick visit to Baton Rouge. After a three-year stint with Kentucky, Brown now heads to LSU with over 120 career catches, 1500+ receiving yards and double-digit touchdowns.

Brown also holds the record for most kick return touchdowns in SEC history with five in his college career. Look for Brown to be an integral piece to LSU's success in 2025.

"Explosiveness, veteran presence, maturity that he brings to the room. We have some young players and I think it's pretty clear, when you're recruiting receivers you're looking at who your quarterback is to. You've got a veteran quarterback, someone who can push the ball down the field. He looked at that, at the success of the receivers at LSU. He's an explosive player and I think it was pretty easy this was going to be a great fit for him," Kelly said last week.

CB Mansoor Delane: No. 40 Overall

LSU secondary coach Corey Raymond continues retooling the defensive backfield this offseason with several newcomers set to arrive in Baton Rouge, but none more game ready than Virginia Tech transfer Mansoor Delane.

The No. 2 rated cornerback in the NCAA Transfer Portal, according to 247Sports, chose the Tigers over a slew of schools that expressed significant interest.

Delane is a player firmly on NFL organizations' draft boards with LSU adding a player who is a surefire pick in the future.

The Virginia Tech transfer pledged to Brian Kelly and the Tigers last 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.

It's an important addition for the program where Delane can help coach up the youngsters in the cornerback room heading into next season.

LSU signee DJ Pickett, the No. 1 cornerback in America, has already arrived in Baton Rouge to begin practicing with the program, but once Delane is in town it'll give Pickett a resource to fall back on.

EDGE Jack Pyburn: No. 47 Overall

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. 6 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.

Who have the Tigers gained commitments from?

The Additions on Offense (7):
- 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

The Additions on Defense (6):
- 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

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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