As Lane Kiffin continues preparing for his first season at LSU, it's become clear that the Tiger offensive line is going to look vastly different in 2026. LSU won't have much returning experience in the trenches next season, as yet another Tiger offensive lineman is slated to enter the transfer portal.
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According to On3, redshirt sophomore DJ Chester plans to enter the transfer portal. Chester appeared in 20 games for the Tigers with 15 starts, and was named to the Freshman All-SEC Team last season.
He is the third LSU offensive lineman to declare plans to enter the portal, joining 5-star freshman Carius Curne and redshirt freshman Coen Echols. He is the 12th Tiger to hit the portal overall.
NEW: LSU OL DJ Chester plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, @Hayesfawcett3 reports.
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) December 26, 2025
Chester started 13 games for the Tigers. https://t.co/kSYG7dYADj pic.twitter.com/ZHKbo5KYjF
DJ Chester is the third Tiger offensive lineman set to enter the portal
Chester came to LSU as a 4-star prospect who was ranked as the No. 7 offensive lineman in the country for the 2023 class. He appeared in 4 games as a true freshman in 2023 before starting all 13 games at center in 2024. He bounced around the rotation a bit this season, but was a valuable backup who provided depth for an often-injured LSU offensive line.
Kiffin and new LSU offensive line coach Eric Wolford have their work cut out for them. Re-building LSU's offensive line is a top priority for Kiffin this offseason, and the losses of Chester, Curne, and Echols leave the Tigers shorthanded up front. LSU is set to return freshmen Solomon Thomas and redshirt junior Braelin Moore next season, but it's obvious that Kiffin and Wolford need to bring in further improvements.
4-star OL prospect Brysten Martinez is on the way, and it seems that he could compete for plaing time from the jump. The Gonzales, LA native is rated by 247Sports as the No. 4 player in Louisiana and the No. 10 offensive lineman in the country. Kiffin also flipped 3-star OL Ryan Miret from Ole Miss to LSU.
But still, don't be surprised if Kiffin utilizes the portal heavily to bring in reinforcements in the trenches. The LSU offensive line struggled mightily in 2025, and Tiger fans are eager to see improvements in Kiffin's first season in 2026.