LSU offers Western Michigan DT Braden Fiske
The NCAA Transfer Portal opened on Monday, and the first offer on the day from LSU went out to a defensive tackle.
Western Michigan graduate student Braden Fiske received a verbal scholarship from the Tigers, which adds to a growing list of offers he’s reeled in.
Given he’s a graduate transfer, Fiske’s name was in the NCAA Transfer Portal ahead of Monday, which marked the opening of a 45-day window for underclassmen. Fiske made a visit to Notre Dame over the weekend, and the Irish offered after the trip.
In addition to LSU and Notre Dame, Fiske has scholarships in from the likes of Florida, Penn State, Oklahoma and more.
The defensive tackle spot is a need position for LSU as the Tigers monitor what the roster might look like a year from now. Junior Jaquelin Roy started alongside sophomore Mekhi Wingo and turned in his best season to date, which then put Roy firmly on the watch list for a potential early departure into the NFL Draft.
Wingo will return to the starting lineup next season, where he will be joined by star defensive lineman Maason Smith, who was set for a breakout campaign in 2022 before suffering a season-ending knee injury on the opening defensive possession of the year.
Behind Smith, Wingo and Roy is just one veteran in defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory, who is expected to return for his senior season in 2023. From there, the Tigers only have two other scholarship defensive tackles in redshirt freshman Bryce Langston and freshman Tygee Hill. Neither saw much game action this season.
Here’s a look at Fiske’s statistics and production during his five seasons at Western Michigan. Thanks to a redshirt season, in addition to the 2020 pandemic season that didn’t dock players a year of eligibility, Fiske has one season of college football still ahead of him.
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2022: Started and played in all 12 games … finished season with 58 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, seven quarterback hurries and three pass breakups.
2021: Started and played in all 13 games … finished season with career-high 43 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks … had two tackles and 1.5 sacks in win at Pittsburgh … had six tackles against Toledo … recorded season-high seven tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss at Eastern Michigan … had five tackles and one sack in Quick Lane Bowl victory over Nevada.
2020: Started all six games, making 13 total tackles … Recorded six total tackles, 2.5 for loss and a sack against Northern Illinois.
2019: Played in 12 games, missing the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl … tallied 24 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, one fumble recovery and one QB pressure … collected seven games with 2+ tackles and three with 3+ stops including a career-high five tackles against Monmouth and Georgia State … added three tackles and 0.5 TFL at Eastern Michigan … booked first career sack and TFL against Monmouth … recovered a fumble at Northern Illinois in the regular season finale … on the field for 386 snaps.
2018: Played in two games, against Ball State and BYU in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl … did not record any statistics … on the field for 19 snaps.
