The offseason in College Football has become a giant game of musical chairs as players rotate in and out of programs filling new positions while others take that place. The transfer portal was exciting for the LSU Football team as the Tigers filled need after need with instant impact players raising the Tigers ceiling in 2025.
The Tigers did experience some transfer portal losses and a few of the losses were players who played a big role for the Tigers in 2024. The losses were largely outgained by massive additions as the Tigers aren't worse off anywhere due to the transfer portal. Three positions in particular took a massive jump despite losing starting or high impact players.
Wide Receiver:
Brian Kelly had just said a week prior that CJ Daniels would be returning which made it shocking when he entered the transfer portal when it wouldn't have been a shock originally. The Tigers then lost Shelton Sampson Jr and Landon Ibieta to the transfer portal but, Daniels was the only contributor of the three.
Three Receivers went out and three come in as the transfer portal can give and take from the roster. The biggest additions of the receivers are Barion Brown and Nic Anderson two wide receivers who are proven commodities that the Tigers won't need to wait on as they develop. The Tigers then added a player that may need some time to develop in Florida State's Destyn Hill who was slated to be the Seminoles leading receiver but, tore his ACL at the start of the season.
Overall, LSU lost two players who didn't record a catch and CJ Daniels who didn't live up to the expectation he had coming in. The Tigers added two high end receivers with upside to take the next step and another wide receiver that was a high level recruit with a ton of promise that can grow into a contributor.
Quarterback:
Garrett Nussmeier returns which meant LSU wasn't going to turn the quarterback position over to a new starter. The Tigers will be better at the position as Nussmeier should take a second year leap but, the Tigers did lose two backups to the transfer portal. AJ Swann was the most experienced and he made the move to Appalachian State while Rickie Collins had more upside but, transferred to Syracuse.
The Tigers blended experience and upside adding Mississippi State transfer Michael Van Buren who is a really fun piece long term. Van Buren flashed as a Freshman starting at Mississippi State and now he gets to take a back seat while developing behind Garrett Nussmeier. After a year behind Nussmeier focusing on development, Van Buren can step in right away in 2026 and run the offense with a much better supporting cast than he had at Mississippi State.
Safety:
It's never ideal to lose a Multi-Year starter in the secondary like LSU lost with Sage Ryan but, there's a reason both sides went their own way. The Tigers also saw Jordan Allen and Kylin Jackson depart for the transfer portal and while both showed promise, neither was able to break in at one of LSU's weakest positions.
The Tigers landed one clear starter at safety in NC State's Tamarcus Cooley who will instantly upgrade the secondary. Cooley was outstanding in his first season as a starter and if he continues to grow this offseason he's a potential All-SEC Player for the Tigers. LSU's cornerback battle will be highly contested but, whoever loses the battle between Ja'Keem Jackson, Mansoor Delane, and DJ Pickett could instantly step in and be a massive upgrade in coverage over what LSU has had the past few seasons.