LSU Tigers Can 'Be Aggressive On Anybody' Thanks to Brian Kelly's NIL Pledge

The LSU Tigers have had an incredible run in the transfer portal and head coach Brian Kelly's NIL matching pledge.

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

The first few years of Brian Kelly's tenure with the LSU Tigers have ended in disappointment, so he is doing everything he can do make sure it doesn't happen yet again.

Kelly shook the NIL world when he announced a pledge to match up to $1 million of donations between December 13, 2024 and February 5, 2025 via the 'Kelly Family Million Dollar Match Fund.'

The initial response to the coaches pledge has been met with enthusiasm from fans of the team, the target demographic for this pledge.

Early results on the recruiting trail have also been a positive, leaving Kelly happy with his decision so far.

"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,” said the coach during a press conference on Saturday. “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.”

Though he has had a player win the Heisman trophy during his tenure, many fans have been upset with the product since he took over. Kelly has a 28-11 record with the Tigers and they have not yet been contenders for a National Championship run.

Things got even worse this offseason when the Michigan Wolverines put together an unmatchable NIL offer to flip Bryce Underwood, the nation's top high school player, away from LSU.

With the influx of money, recruiting has been on an upswing again, though. Per the 247Sports transfer portal class rankings, the Tigers currently have the second-best class. Some big name players have come in since the pledge was announced, getting some of the pressure off of Kelly's back.

The most recent commit, EDGE rusher Patrick Payton, is the second overall player in the portal and first at his position. Payton has 16 career sacks and 32 tackles for a loss after a few years with the Florida State Seminoles.

Wide receivers Nic Anderson and Barion Brown are also top-20 transfers, keeping the offense afloat. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is also sticking around, so that side of the ball should be fine.

It will cost Kelly some money, but this is the most positive momentum his program has had in a while. This should be a situation to monitor as other schools and coaches might follow suit with the positive results so far.