With a 38-35 loss to the Houston Cougars in the Texas Bowl on Saturday, the 2025 season has officially come to an end for the LSU Tigers. Now, all eyes turn to Lane Kiffin as he continues to build LSU's roster for his first season in Baton Rouge.
LSU's offensive line continues to get gutted by the transfer portal with latest update
Kiffin signed 14 recruits during the Early Signing Period, including a pair of 5-stars in Lamar Brown and Richard Anderson. The transfer portal is set to open on January 2, and Kiffin figures to be busy. However, there are several impact players that he needs to prioritize hanging on to. Here are 3 of the most imprtant players that Kiffin must prioritize keeping in Baton Rouge for the 2026 season.
Tight end Trey'Dez Green
There's no denying that Trey'Dez Green has emerged into one of the most dangerous red zone threats in all of college football. His massive 6'7", 240-pound frame and elite athleticism makes him a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses, especially in the red zone. On the season, Green hauled in 33 catches for 433 yards and a team-leading 7 touchdowns.
He capped his sophomore campaign with a 4-catch, 80-yard performance to along with 2 touchdowns in the Texas Bowl. An in-state product hailing from Jackson, LA, losing Green to the portal would be devastating to Kiffin and LSU.
I keep saying this.
— Preston Guy (@PGuy77) December 28, 2025
The three biggest players #LSU must retain are Trey’Dez Green, Harlem Berry and DJ Pickett.
There’s a lot of other players you really want. But you need those three.
Running back Harlem Berry
Harlem Berry came to LSU as a 5-star prospect and the top player in Louisiana as well as the No. 1 running back prospect in the country for the 2025 class. He saw limited playing time early on this season, but came on strong down the stretch. Berry saw double-digit carries in 5 of his last 7 games, reaching the 50-yard mark in 5 of those games as well.
On the season, Berry racked up 491 rushing yards and 4.7 yards per carry to go along with a pair of rushing touchdowns. After a promising true freshman season, Tiger fans are eager to see what Berry can do in Kiffin's offense. Quinshon Judkins and Kewan Lacy both thrived in Kiffin's system at Ole Miss, and a Kiffin/Berry partnership could yield fantastic results for LSU next season.
Cornerback DJ Pickett
DJ Pickett was a consensus 5-star prospect and was rated as the nation’s No. 1 cornerback by On3 and Rivals for the 2025 recruiting class. He made an immediate impact during his true freshman season, playing in all 13 games and totaling 37 tackles (30 solo), 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 3 interceptions and 3 pass break ups.
Pickett is one of the most talented freshmen in the country, and has an extremely bright future ahead. Defensive coordinator Blake Baker had no problem giving Pickett plenty of responsibility during his freshman season, and Baker's return could lead to an increased role for Pickett in 2026 and beyond. There's no doubt that Kiffin has to make keeping Pickett in Baton Rouge a top priority.