The offseason continues to move faster than it ever has before with the Transfer Portal constantly adding and losing players. For the most part this offseason, LSU has only lost depth pieces with a few exceptions in the cases of CJ Daniels, Da'Shawn Womack, Jay'Viar Suggs, and Ka'Morreun Pimpton who were expected to play massive roles in the 2025 season.
The latest loss for LSU comes as starting Safety Sage Ryan enters his name into the transfer portal.
#LSU safety Sage Ryan is entering the transfer portal, he announces on Instagram.
— Koki Riley (@KokiRiley) December 12, 2024
He also entered the portal for a period last year before coming back to Baton Rouge.
Safety has just become an even greater need for Brian Kelly this offseason. pic.twitter.com/Hy3bWgwR2q
Last offseason, Sage Ryan entered the transfer portal but ultimately decided it was best to return to LSU, it feels like this time around he's certainly leaving.
Ryan signed with LSU in the 2021 Recruiting Cycle ranked as a five-star recruit, the 30th ranked recruit in the Nation, the 2nd Ranked Safety, and the 2nd Ranked player out of Louisiana.
Under Blake Baker and the new defensive coaching staff, Ryan certainly had his best season yet, but the team still suffered from inconsistent play on the back end. Ryan should have a better market for himself this year than he did last season. Ryan finishes the season with 41 tackles, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, 4 pass deflections, and an interception.
Losing a veteran player does hurt but, this move feels best for both parties as LSU can focus on getting impact players back into the secondary.
The Tigers have already made safety a priority in the transfer portal pursuing Zechariah Poyser from Jacksonville State. As Ryan enters the portal with Major Burns out of eligibilty, the safety position is now a top priority for LSU in the transfer portal. The Bowl game will serve as a great proving ground for players like DaShawn Spears, Joel Rogers, Austin Ausberry, and maybe Ju'Juan Johnson who started the season at safety before moving to Running Back.