Breaking: NC State transfer Tamarcus Cooley signs with LSU
LSU picks up another talented transfer defensive back, this time winning the recruiting battle for Tamarcus Cooley on Monday evening.
After taking visits to Ole Miss, LSU, and Kentucky over the past week, Cooley chose to join the Tigers and comes to Baton Rouge with three years of eligibility remaining. He redshirted his freshman season at Maryland before transferring to NC State where he was productive as a redshirt freshman, and now heads to the bayou to play in the SEC
Cooley played nickel last season for the Wolfpack and announced his intentions to return in 2025 season, resigning with the One Pack NIL collective, but in early January, the situation changed and he entered the portal with several SEC teams in the hunt, eventually choosing LSU.
The 6-foot-1 defensive back was one of the best defensive players on NC State’s roster, being a versatile piece for the Wolfpack all season. He had 30 tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception, six pass breakups, and two forced fumbles, filling the statsheet.
“He played really well in a lot of ways,” NC State head coach Dave Doeren said. “In the box, setting edges, fitting in the run. Then in coverage he had number of pass breakups. He had the big interception at the end of the game. He did a good job fitting a lot of formations and surface areas. There’s a lot going on there communication-wise on motions. For a young guy to have to manage all that, it was impressive.”
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LSU was in need of more safety help and Cooley should be a prime candidate to check that box as the Tigers head into 2025. LSU also added Mansoor Delane, a versatile defensive back from the ACC, and Cooley is another talented defensive back as Blake Baker further rebuilds his secondary.
LSU has now added 15 transfers in this cycle and have added a trio of defensive backs with Mansoor Delane, Tamarcus Cooley, and cornerback Ja’Keem Jackson, all from P4 programs with starting experience. Baker and his staff continue to look to get the defense to a contending level in the SEC after his first season as the defensive coordinator at LSU. The Tigers also brought in several talented defensive linemen to bolster the frontline through the portal. In addition, the freshman class is also promising with talent to round out the depth chart.
Stay tuned to The Bengal Tiger and On3 for all the LSU breaking news from the NCAA Transfer Portal.
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The transfer portal
The spring window in April will only be 10 days, lasting from April 16, 2025, and shutting down on April 25, 2025. The transfer portal will open for 30 days whenever a head coach leaves their program, allowing athletes to leave and decide on their future, according to NCAA guidelines.
With the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, the postseason will be longer. Athletes on teams that compete in the College Football Playoff and later bowl game will be allowed to enter an additional five-day transfer portal window in January after the portal closes.
