Brian Kelly says LSU isn't in the business of buying players

Brian Kelly forgot he’s no longer the coach at Notre Dame. The LSU head coach made a few offseason remarks about NIL and the transfer portal that sound like nails on a chalkboard to Tiger fans.

Like many other Power Five programs, LSU was in the market for interior defensive linemen. They ran into a problem. This spring the demand was high for their talents and the supply was low, driving up the price for the best interior defensive linemen. Kelly has no interest in paying for those players.

“It hasn’t fared very well, quite frankly,” he told Jacques Doucet of WAFB. “Because we’re selling something a little differently and that is — we want to recruit, we want to engage, build relationships, develop, retain, and have success.

“We’re not in the market of buying players. And unfortunately, right now, that’s what some guys are looking for. They want to be bought.”

Kelly says he gave prospective transfer portal players a different pitch, one that has apparently fallen on deaf ears.

“We will develop you and get you ready for the next step,” Kelly said. “As we did with Jayden Daniels, as we did with Malik Nabers, as we did with Brian Thomas. We developed three defensive linemen that all got drafted this year and we’ll do that again.

“But if you’re just looking to get paid, you’re looking in the wrong place. If you like all the things we do here in developing our players, bringing you into a championship program, playing in front of the best fanbase in America, playing for championships, and having an opportunity for NIL — you should be a Tiger. If you just want to get paid, this is not the place for you.”

.@JacquesDoucet : Where are you right now w/the defensive line recruiting?

Brian Kelly: "It's hasn't fared very well quite frankly because we are selling something a little bit differently…

We are not in the market of buying players."

LSU HC sends a STRONG message via @WAFB pic.twitter.com/HO8zfwdRsZ

— Carter Bryant (@PowerHourLSU) May 7, 2024

Brian Kelly is so wrong in so many ways

First and foremost, buying players is not only perfectly acceptable in this day and age of college sports, but it’s how it works, particularly in the transfer portal. Programs can sell the long-term development angle at the high school level, but in the portal it’s all about the power of the dollar.

Most transfer portal players only have a year or two to profit from their Name, Image, and Likeness and they should make the most of it. Similar to the NFL, you can spend less to get quality players in the NFL Draft, but the cost is high on the free agency market. The transfer portal is college football’s free agency and LSU is apparently unwilling or unable to play that game.

Secondly, this is LSU we’re talking about. When Brian Kelly was at Notre Dame, he could take the moral high ground approach. The state of Louisiana lies on the exact opposite end of the spectrum. LSU is a school where their basketball coach got caught handing out “strong ass offers.” Instead of getting fired, the fans rallied around Will Wade and the athletic director was terminated.

To say you’re not willing to play the game that everyone else in the sport is playing is silly. Brian Kelly is sending the message that LSU is not open for business in the transfer portal. Surely, this won’t come back to bite Brian Kelly in the butt.