The transfer portal has been open for almost a week, and Lane Kiffin has received 13 commitments thus far. The portal remains open until January 16, and Kiffin is undoubtedly still looking to bring more talent to Baton Rouge. But as more talent comes in, some current Tigers are hitting the portal as well.
Ed Orgeron has extreme confidence in Lane Kiffin getting the job done at LSU
Just 4 days ago, LSU defensive tackle Walter "Buddy" Mathis Jr. announced that he was returning to LSU for his sophomore season. The LSU Football X account (formerly Twitter) even posted Mathis' decision with that caption "Committed to The Boot."
Committed to The Boot @beastinbuddy1 | Year 2 pic.twitter.com/l5BFuhGfeG
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) January 4, 2026
However, Mathis has since changed his mind. According to Hayes Fawcett of On3, Mathis now plans to enter the transfer portal. Rated as a 3-star prospect hailing from Savannah, GA, Mathis played in 12 games this past season as a true freshman and recorded 9 tackles (5 solo) as well as a pass deflection. He has 3 years of eligibility remaining.
NEW: LSU DL Walter Mathis plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, @Hayesfawcett3 reports. https://t.co/xXepzSKa0C pic.twitter.com/w70iLGv0w4
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) January 8, 2026
Lane Kiffin has signed multiple defensive linemen via the transfer portal
According to the Rival Industry Rankings, Mathis was originally ranked as the No. 496 overall player and No. 50 defensive lineman in the 2025 recruiting class. He is the second freshman defensive lineman to hit the portal from LSU, joining 3-star DL Zion Williams, who announced his intention to enter the portal on January 5.
Kiffin has brought in plenty of reinforcements to LSU's defensive line via the portal, which could be why Mathis has decided to pursue other opportunities. On the defensive front, Kiffin's transfer portal class includes 4-star EDGE Jaylen Brown from South Carolina, 4-star DL Stephiylan Green from Clemson, and 3-star DL Malik Blocton from Auburn.
Furthermore, LSU's incoming 2026 recruiting class is headlined by a pair of 5-star DL prospects in Lamar Brown and Richard Anderson. Both Brown and Anderson could compete for playing time on the Tiger defensive line from the jump in 2026.