LSU Football needs to pursue Alabama player who just hit the transfer portal
By Zach Ragan
LSU Football has a big need on their roster and there’s a player who hit the NCAA transfer portal on Tuesday who could help fill that need.
The Tigers badly need to add a tight end this offseason.
Junior Kole Taylor, a former three-star recruit from Colorado, is LSU’s only returning scholarship tight end.
The Tigers added Mason Taylor during the early signing period, but LSU obviously doesn’t want to count on a true freshman at the position in 2022.
That’s why new head coach Brian Kelly and his staff should pursue Jahleel Billingsley, an Alabama tight end who entered the transfer portal on Tuesday.
Jahleel Billingsley would be a solid addition for LSU football
Billingsley entered the portal on Tuesday after Alabama’s loss to Georgia in the College Football Playoff championship game on Monday night.
The Chicago native is a former four-star recruit who was rated as the No. 11 tight end in the 2019 recruiting class (247Sports composite rankings).
Billingsley caught 17 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns in 2021.
The 6-foot-4 tight end was seemingly phased out of Alabama’s offensive plan toward the end of the season.
Nick Saban explained in November that Billingsley wasn’t always taking advantage of his opportunities.
From The Athletic:
"“When a guy has opportunities, he’s got to take advantage of them,” Saban said in November. “He’s got to play fast. He can’t drop the ball. So, yeah, do we miss his production? Yeah, but when he gets the opportunities, he’s got to take advantage of them and he’s got to play fast. And he’s certainly the guy that can help us in some kind of way. We need him to sort of go out there and play like he’s capable of playing, and that’s certainly our responsibility as coaches to try to get him to do that.”"
Billingsley obviously wouldn’t be a can’t-miss portal addition for LSU, but he’s still a high-upside player that would fill a big need for the Tigers.
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We should expect to see LSU be very active in the NCAA transfer portal this offseason. Kelly has plenty of areas of concern that need to be addressed.