Brian Kelly just got done recruiting a massive transfer portal class for the LSU Tigers.
With 18 prospects, including 11 four-star transfers, the Tigers picked up a lot of experienced talent this offseason.
Now, all eyes are on what Kelly can do with those transfers as he faces a season that might be make-or-break for his tenure in Baton Rouge.
If the Tigers can work their way through the SEC and the College Football Playoffs to secure the highly coveted national title, LSU will be the first team with more than nine incoming transfers to do so, doubling that count.
Transfer count of National Championship winning teams
- 2018: Alabama, 0 transfers
- 2019: Clemson, 0 transfers
- 2020: LSU, 1 transfer
- 2021: Alabama, 0 transfers
- 2022: Georgia, 3 transfers
- 2023: Georgia, 0 transfers
- 2024: Michigan, 3 transfers
- 2025: Ohio State, 9 transfers
Last season, the Ohio State Buckeyes brought in nine transfers to the program and went on to win the National Championship, capping off their run through the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.
When Ohio State pulled off its title-winning season, it tripled the number of new transfers on a National Championship roster, which was previously a tie between the Georgia Bulldogs and Michigan Wolverines with three apiece.
Now, LSU could do the same with twice as many newcomers from the portal, not to mention the 23 freshmen who joined the team this offseason.
2025 LSU Tigers transfer portal class
- A.J. Haulcy, four-star safety
- Tamarcus Cooley, four-star safety
- Barion Brown, four-star wide receiver
- Josh Thompson, four-star interior offensive lineman
- Braelin Moore, four-star interior offensive lineman
- Bernard Gooden, four-star defensive lineman
- Patrick Payton, four-star EDGE
- Nic Anderson, four-star wide receiver
- Mansoor Delane, four-star cornerback
- Ja'Keem Jackson, four-star cornerback
- Bauer Sharp, four-star tight end
- Michael Van Buren, three-star quarterback
- Sydir Mitchell, three-star defensive lineman
- Jack Pyburn, three-star EDGE
- Jimari Butler, three-star EDGE
- Donovan Green, three-star tight end
- Destyn Hill, three-star wide receiver
- Grant Chadwick, three-star punter
With 18 transfers and 23 freshmen on the roster, 48 percent of the Tigers' scholarship players were not on the roster last season. Yes, a handful joined Kelly's squad in the spring, but nearly half of the team has yet to spend a full year in Baton Rouge.
Simply put, this LSU team will look drastically different from what it was last year. The Tigers are scheduled to begin their 2025 campaign on Saturday, Aug. 30, with a big-time matchup against the Clemson Tigers. Kick off is set for 6:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be aired on ABC.