LSU Country

LSU Football Transfer Target, No. 2 Safety in the Portal Reveals Commitment Decision

The Tigers remain in need of help in the defensive backfield, safety position becoming a top hole to fill.

Zack Nagy

Courtesy of Zechariah Poyser's Instagram.
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Brian Kelly and the LSU football staff hosted the No. 2 safety in the NCAA Transfer Portal last week for a visit to Baton Rouge with Jacksonville State's Zechariah Poyser making his way to town.

Poyser, a coveted target in the portal, received interest from a slew of programs once officially in the free agent market.

One of the schools that expressed interest, while also getting him in for a visit, was LSU.

Kelly and Co. had Poyser in town on Wednesday for a visit to town where he had the chance to soak in the scenes of Death Valley with the staff.

"The LSU visit was great… I love [LSU defensive analyst] Eddie Hicks and he’s family so we had a connection there," Poyser told LSU Tigers On SI. "They love their players and that means a lot.

"Of course I understand it’s a football business, but they take their relationships serious outside of football. It was most definitely amazing; the whole entire staff and visit as a whole."

The trip to Baton Rouge gave Poyser the chance to meet up with LSU secondary coach Corey Raymond, defensive coordinator Blake Baker and other pieces of LSU's defense.

"[LSU] made me feel like a priority," Poyser told LSU Tigers On SI. "Coach Baker and [safeties coach] Jake Olsen [did great]. Coach Corey Raymond was amazing. A good guy with a huge resume."

Following his time in the Bayou State, Poyser began taking visits to a slew of potential suitors headlined by the Georgia Bulldogs and Miami Hurricanes.

"As far as visits, I went to Auburn [Thursday], I'll be at Georgia on Friday, Florida on Saturday and Miami Sunday," Poyser told LSU Tigers On SI.

The Miami Hurricanes received the last visit for the Sunshine State native and ultimately answered all the question Poyser and his camp were looking for.

On Tuesday afternoon, Poyser revealed a commitment to Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes.

LSU has been dominant in the Transfer Portal to this point with the program boasting the No. 1 portal class in America.

The Tigers are up to eight additions with the main headliner coming in defensive back Mansoor Delane, the No. 2 rated cornerback in the portal.

Now, with eight bodies committed and/or signed, LSU will begin turning up the heat for bodies in the safety room.

Poyser is out of the mix for the Bayou Bengals after committing elsewhere, but there is another safety LSU is in on: South Florida's Tawfiq Byard.

The Safety Target: South Florida's Tawfiq Byard

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers are currently hosting South Florida safety Tawfiq Byard for a visit to Baton Rouge.

Byard arrived in town on Monday to begin his official visit that has now carried into Tuesday. He's had the chance to meet with the staff, check out campus and also watch LSU's bowl practice as they begin preparing for the Texas Bowl against the Baylor Bears.

Byard burst on the scene in 2024 after tallying 54 tackles with a pair of sacks and an interception this fall.

Now, he's become a player with interest all across America, which includes Kelly and the LSU Tigers.

Kelly and Co. will continue swinging for the fences when it comes to one of their premier targets in Byard as he continues his official visit to Baton Rouge.

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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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