The college football transfer portal is now open, and Lane Kiffin has plenty of work to do. LSU hasn't qualified for the College Football Playoff since 2019, and Tiger fans are eager for another shot at a national title. For Kiffin, that mission is already underway as he navigates the portal to find top talent to bring to Baton Rouge.
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One of the biggest names available in the portal was in Baton Rouge on Saturday, and LSU fans are fired up. Penn State transfer EDGE Chaz Coleman visited LSU this weekend and posted a photo with Kiffin to his social media.
@Lane_Kiffin @LSUfootball @TigerWoods pic.twitter.com/HeishfygXq
— Chaz Coleman (@chazcoleman_) January 3, 2026
Chaz Coleman would be a great fit for LSU's defense
Coleman appeared in 9 games this season as a true freshman for the Nittany Lions. He racked up 8 tackles, 3 tackles for loss and sack as well as 2 fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. He's a do-it-all type of EDGE rusher, and has an extremely bright future ahead. LSU fans are hoping that future takes place in Baton Rouge.
Coleman holds a 5-star transfer rating from 247Sports, and is ranked as the No. 3 overall player in the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings. Needless to say, he is receiving interest from several Power 4 programs. As a high school prospect, Coleman was a 4-star recruit who was ranked as the No. 10 player in Ohio and the No. 27 EDGE in the country for the 2025 class.
Coleman's skill set would be a great fit for Blake Baker's defense. Baker has plenty of production to replace, and is looking to take LSU's defensive front to the next level. Sterling Lucas was brought in from South Carolina to be LSU's defensive line coach, which is a big win for Kiffin and LSU.
Lucas has emerged into one of the brightest defensive assistants in college football, serving as South Carolina's defensive ends/outside linebackers coach and defensive run game coordinator this past season. Last season, the Gamecocks recorded 41 sacks, which was tied for the 10th-most in all of college football.
Together, it seems that Kiffin, Baker, and Lucas are making Coleman a priority. Hopefully their efforts pay off and the big-time playmaker is donning the purple and gold next season.