Brian Kelly shares how LSU improved secondary in transfer portal

The LSU Tigers are one of the programs that likes to call themselves DBU. Even with that moniker, the Tigers still had gaps in the secondary to fix following the 2022 season. So, head coach Brian Kelly hit the transfer portal to improve the secondary.

At SEC media days, Kelly explained what went into adding secondary talent through the portal and why LSU decided to do that.

“Again, I think when we talk about areas within your program that you’re coming, but you’re not there yet.” Brian Kelly said. “When you have to dip into the transfer portal — and this is just my perspective — but when you have to dip into the transfer portal and bring in that many guys on defense, that’s an area of concern, because you really don’t know what you have until you play against Florida State.”

LSU is opening up against Florida State in Orlando on September 3rd. The Seminoles are bringing one of the best passing attacks in the country, led by Jordan Travis, into that game.

“There are going to be a number of new players back there. We do have some returning players that we’re excited about back there, [Greg] Brooks and [Major] Burns in particular are two veteran players that are going to help us a lot back there,” Kelly said.

“Look, that was an area of concern. We’re a team that needs to get off the field on 3rd down. We did not do a very good job of that last year. That’s going to have to change, and it’ll start in that particular area.”

Among the players who Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers added from the transfer portal are Denver Harris, who came over from Texas A&M, and Darian Chestnut from Syracuse.

Brian Kelly on the Matt House hire

In 2022, Brian Kelly made a splashy hire by bringing in Matt House to be the LSU defensive coordinator, pulling him away from the NFL. At SEC media days, Kelly explained what went into that hire.

“I’ve known Matt for a long period of time,” Kelly said.

“I knew him way back when I was at Central Michigan. But I got to know him better going up against him when I was at Notre Dame. He was at Pitt, he was at North Carolina State. I always hated going against his defenses. They were versatile. They were difficult to read. There was unpredictability in them, and they changed from week to week. I wanted that in the SEC.”