BREAKING: LSU lands Vanderbilt QB transfer AJ Swann

The LSU football staff has landed a commitment from Vanderbilt transfer quarterback AJ Swann, who picked the Tigers over South Carolina and others.

Swann made his decision public on Monday afternoon following a weekend spent in Baton Rouge with his parents.

The visit gave Swann the opportunity to spend extended time with quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan, as well as offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock and head coach Brian Kelly.

After two seasons and double-digit starts at Vanderbilt, Swann – who is tabbed by the On3 Industry Rankings as a Top 10 quarterback available in the NCAA Transfer Portal – is now headed to Baton Rouge as the fourth quarterback on roster for the 2024 season.

Garrett Nussmeier is set to start in the bowl game against Wisconsin in January as Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels moves forward with NFL Draft preparations. True freshman Rickie Collins, who appeared in one game this season and attempted only a pair of passes, would be in the mix to compete in year two, while LSU is set to sign four-star prospect Colin Hurley on Wednesday as part of the 2024 high school class.

A glimpse into AJ Swann’s time at Vanderbilt

Swann spent two seasons in Nashville, starting in all six games he appeared in this season while completing 196 passes for 1,457 yards and 12 touchdowns. Swann entered the 2023 campaign as Vanderbilt’s starting quarterback but was sidelined due to a right elbow injury.

As a true freshman a year ago, Swann passed for 1,274 yards and 10 touchdowns. He had 159 pass attempts before throwing his first interception, the longest such stretch by an SEC quarterback to open a career (at an FBS school) since 2002. It was also the fewest interceptions thrown by any FBS true freshman with at least 200 drop backs on the season.

For his two-year college career, Swann hit on 222-of-394 pass attempts for 2,731 yards, 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He made 12 starts in 15 games played.

Swann played high school football at Cherokee (GA), where he was a three-star prospect. He finished as a Top 25 quarterback in the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

LSU finds what the staff was looking for in a portal QB

The Tigers are are in need of potential challenger to the quarterback position as Garrett Nussmeier takes the reigns from Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels.

On Monday, Daniels announced he was forgoing the LSU bowl game as he prepares for the NFL Draft, though he added that he would make the trip to Tampa to support his teammates in the Reliaquest Bowl matchup with Wisconsin on January 1.

Nussmeier is set to get his first college start in the game against the Badgers.

Behind Nussmeier is freshman Rickie Collins, who appeared in just one game this season and attempted only a pair of passes. LSU is set to sign four-star prospect Colin Hurley on Wednesday as part of the 2024 high school class.

During three seasons at LSU, Nussmeier has played a backup role first to Max Johnson as a freshmen, then Daniels following his transfer in from Arizona State ahead of the 2022 season.

Nussmeier has hit on 98-of-174 pass attempts (56.3%) for 1,325 yards with eight touchdowns and six interceptions during his time as a backup.

He flashed at the back end of the 2022 season, stepping in at halftime of the SEC Championship and hitting on 15-of-27 pass attempts for 294 yards, two touchdowns and an interception against Georgia. In the bowl game, Nussmeier split reps with Daniels and finished 11-for-15 passing for 173 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in a 63-7 blowout win over Purdue.

Swann was looking for a new landing spot, but also willing to step into a situation to compete for the job without the promise of a start or a certain percentage of practice reps, sources tell On3.

That’s the fit the LSU staff was looking for given they have faith in Nussmeier, but also want depth and experienced competition at the position entering the 2024 season.