In the past few seasons, we've seen LSU use the transfer portal in a way that wasn't best suited for the team's success. The Tigers were adding players that may be able to start which often times weren't among the best players in the transfer portal. Last Spring, Kelly said the Tigers weren't in the market of buying players.
Then before the transfer portal opened this season, Brian Kelly sent a message loud and clear that the Tigers were ready to play ball with some of the top spenders.
"We will be very aggressive. We weren't in the transfer portal last year. Put together a Defensive Line with minimal resources. We stayed, to use a term loosely, well under the cap. We're also bringing in 16 mid-years (Freshmen) and maybe the largest transfer portal class as well."Brian Kelly
When Brian Kelly sent this message it got everyone excited but, we still needed to see the plan in action to fully believe that LSU was going to spend big.
The Tigers then quickly got to work starting by reeling in Oklahoma Tight End Bauer Sharp the 6th ranked player at his position. LSU needed to replace Mason Taylor's blocking ability so Kelly's staff chose Sharp a player who's physicality caught Brian Kelly's eye.
"If you look at his body of work, it's the physicality in the run game, Blocking tackles out on the perimeter, we love his physicality in the run game."Brian Kelly
Then LSU wrapped up the recruitment of Florida Cornerback Ja'Keem Jackson a player who Corey Raymond brought to Florida when he was coaching for Billy Napier. As a recruit, Jackson was the 4th ranked cornerback in his class and a player nearly every school recruited and was Florida's starting cornerback before injury this season. According to On3's Transfer Rankings, Jackson is the 10th ranked cornerback in the portal
The biggest move thus far was landing Kentucky Wide Receiver Barion Brown who gives this offense another dynamic playmaker. LSU could've rested on the fact that there are a ton of wide receivers in the room that could grow into key pieces as they always have but, instead LSU went out and landed a top-15 player in the Transfer Portal. Brown is a do it all player who was held back by his quarterbacks at Kentucky and is ready to explode when paired with Garrett Nussmeier.
LSU then addressed the edge rush room which was a massive area of need as Bradyn Swinson and Sai'vion Jones depart for the NFL. The Tigers went out and landed two players who will make an impact early on in Jack Pyburn and Jimari Butler. Rather than banking on underclassmen developing or landing two lower level transfers, LSU went out and got two players with multiple years of experience in the SEC and Big Ten.
One of the most interesting positions for LSU in the transfer portal was quarterback after Bryce Underwood flipped to Michigan and Rickie Collins entered the transfer portal. LSU went out and quietly landed what could be their quarterback of the future in Mississippi State's Michael Van Buren. The Tigers get ahead of their need landing an experienced starter in the SEC who can develop for a year behind Garrett Nussmeier and alongside Colin Hurley giving LSU's quarterback room another player with experience and talent.
The latest addition for LSU is Virginia Tech Cornerback Mansoor Delane who committed on Monday. Delane is the exact definition of a player you add regardless of need as he was being picked in the second and third round of mock drafts. Adding Delane and Jackson in one offseason adds two experienced and highly touted cornerbacks to a room that lacked talent the past few years.
According to On3, the 7 transfers LSU has brought in carry a grade of 89.00 while their 16 losses carry a grade of 79.94. LSU has added 2 players ranked as four-star transfers and five players ranked as three star transfers. The Tigers only lost two four-star transfers in Da'Shawn Womack who hadn't played much and CJ Daniels who underwhelmed in his one season in Baton Rouge.
In 2024, LSU's transfers in carried a grade of 70.67 and in 2023, they carried a grade of 81.69 so this is far and away the most talented group the Tigers have brought in thus far.
The Tigers aren't quite done yet either as there are still several positions of need that LSU still needs to fill and they've been linked to several elite players at each position.
Brian Kelly and his staff realized that if you want to compete in the SEC and if you want to win in the College Football Playoff you can't just get by adding average players. The Tigers have gone out and put their money where their mouth is raising the ceiling of this team heading into the 2025 season.