LSU added 43 players through the transfer portal, with most going on the offensive side of the ball. However, the Tigers also added some solid defensive players, both from the portal and the high school ranks.
Head coach Lane Kiffin, better known as the “Portal King,”added several standouts from SEC schools and some at the Group of Five level. Of course, his mission is to win a national championship, and he will even spend a reported $40 million to do so, landing the best players.
With fall camp starting on Wednesday, here are the four newcomers to watch on the defensive side of the ball.
DE Princewill Umanmielen is one of Lane Kiffin's biggest gets
One of the crown jewels of LSU’s transfer portal success this offseason, Princewill Umanmielen led Ole Miss with 13 tackles for loss and nine sacks, earning him All-SEC honors. Because of his acumen of creating pressure off the edge and doing it in the SEC, LSU will get a much-needed pass-rush specialist, something it lacked last season.
Prior to Ole Miss, he spent two seasons at Nebraska, where he earned second-team Freshman All-America honors in 2023.
DT Deuce Geralds is playing beyond his years
While Richard Anderson and Lamar Brown could be on this list as well, Deuce Geralds looked like a three-year veteran rather than a freshman who enrolled early, as he was nearly unstoppable during the spring.
While the true freshman is somewhat undersized, he was by far the standout on the defensive side, which is saying a lot. Gerlads was a consensus four-star prospect and is the all-time sack leader in Georgia high school football history.
LB TJ Dottery the seasoned leader Kiffin loves
While Kiffin was not able to bring everybody with him from Oxford to Baton Rouge, he did manage to get All-SEC linebacker TJ Dottery to come with him. Dottery is one of four Ole Miss players to join the Tigers in 2026 through the transfer portal – others are offensive lineman Devin Harper, Umanmielen and wide receiver Winnie Watkins.
In two seasons with Ole Miss, he recorded 175 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks and three forced fumbles. He, Whit Weeks and Davohn Keys will form one of the best linebacker units in the country, let alone the SEC.
Kiffin thought it was critical to bring Dottery to LSU because of his leadership.
"I think TJ was really critical to me because when you come in, you want to bring coaches. You want to bring your strength coach. Nick Savage came with us. He does an amazing job with our kids," Kiffin said.
"But in your locker room, too, if you can bring a player that understands your culture and is an alpha and a leader, that was really important. To not just get somebody that's been such a good player that I have been with for three years but have gone through things with."
Safety Ty Benefield is the ball hawk LSU fans are accustomed to seeing
This is probably the 100th time you have probably either heard or read about talented Bosie State transfer Ty Benefield.
He was a three-year starter for Boise State, helping lead the Broncos to three straight Mountain West Conference titles and a playoff appearance in 2024. T
Throughout his career, Benefield recorded 235 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 16 pass breakups and five interceptions. He earned first-team All-Mountain West honors in 2025, tallying 105 tackles, three pass deflections, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
While the haul on the defensive side of the ball may have been smaller, clearly Lane Kiffin grabbed some key pieces to fit what he wants for this LSU defense.
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