LSU lands transfer commitment from former Wisconsin DE Gio Paez

Former Wisconsin defensive end Gio Paez will transfer to LSU for the 2024 season, he announced Tuesday via X. He spent the past five seasons with the Badgers and will have one year of eligibility remaining.

Paez appeared in 13 games with six starts at Wisconsin this past season. He ended the year with 23 total tackles to go along with a pair of quarterback hurries.

As a recruit, Paez was a three-star prospect out of Williams Amos Hough High School in Cornelius, North Carolina. He ranked as the No. 97 defensive lineman and No. 948 overall player in the 2019 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Paez appeared in only one game throughout his first two seasons with the Badgers before appearing in 32 over his final three. This past year was the first time he started any games as he finished with a career high in tackles.

The 6-foot-3, 310 pound Wisconsin transfer will likely provide depth behind Saivion Jones and Bradyn Swinson at defensive end. LSU is coming off of a season in which it was one of the worse defensive teams in the country, 108th in total defense. The Tigers finished 10-3 and will hope to improve with the addition of Paez and many others.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

LSU beefing up its defense through the transfer portal

Gio Paez isn’t the only defensive player that LSU added through the transfer portal. The Tigers also brought in a few new pieces in the secondary with cornerback Jyaire Brown (Ohio State) and safeties Austin Ausberry (Auburn) and Jardin Gilbert (Texas A&M).

LSU ranks No. 52 overall and No. 13 in the SEC according to On3’s Transfer Portal Team Rankings. The Tigers have added a total of seven transfers but also lost 14 players of their own to the portal. They have an index score of -4, which isn’t surprising considering they’ve lost twice as many players as they gained.

LSU will hope its transfer additions can be enough to help it compete for a spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff this upcoming season. They are set to enter the third season under coach Brian Kelly, who directed them to double digits wins in each of his first two years.