LSU Transfer Tracker: The Spring Portal Window

The NCAA’s Spring Transfer Portal window opened on Tuesday, April 16 and runs until April 30, a 14-day window that LSU is expected to be active in.

During the first portal window, which ran from December to January, the Tigers added six players – all of whom took part in spring practices at LSU over the past two months.

The group of additions to the roster included former Vanderbilt quarterback AJ Swann, Liberty wide receiver CJ Daniels, Mississippi State wide receiver Zavion Thomas, Texas A&M safety Jardin Gilbert, Auburn safety Austin Ausberry and Ohio State cornerback Jyaire Brown.

LSU saw 14 players enter the NCAA Transfer Portal following the 2023 season. On offense, the list included running back Armoni Goodwin (UAB), running back Logan Diggs (Ole Miss), running back Kevontre Bradford (North Texas), wide receiver Jalen Brown (Florida State), tight end Jackson McGohan (Wisconsin), offensive lineman Marlon Martinez (Mississippi State) and offensive lineman Zalance Heard (Tennessee).

On defense, the list included cornerback defensive tackle Bryce Langston (FAU), defensive tackle Tygee Hill (Oregon State), defensive tackle Fitzgerald West (Louisiana), defensive end Quency Wiggins (Colorado), Laterrance Welch (Arizona State), cornerback Duce Chestnut (Syracuse) and cornerback Denver Harris (UTSA).

Click here to access On3’s Transfer Portal database

Transfer Portal Window No. 2 – LSU Departures (7)

WR Khai Prean

TE Connor Gilbreath

OL Joseph Cryer

EDGE Jaxon Howard

LB Christian Brathwaite

CB Jeremiah Hughes

S Ryan Yaites

On April 16, the opening day of the portal, LSU had one player announce his intention to enter the transfer portal during the spring window in edge rusher Jaxon Howard, a Minnesota native. Howard officially entered the portal on Tuesday. Howard appeared in five games as a true freshman in 2023, maintaining his redshirt season and recording two tackles with a quarterback hurry in the ReliaQuest Bowl win over Wisconsin.

24 hours later, the second LSU player to enter the portal was New Orleans native Khai Prean, who had tested out both wide receiver and defensive back during his one year in Baton Rouge. Prean did not see any game action during the regular season in 2023, taking a redshirt before sticking with the Tigers through spring practices.

By 48 hours into the second portal window, a third LSU player had entered the portal. This time, it was backup tight end Connor Gilbreath. Gilbreath signed as a JUCO prospect ahead of the 2023 season. He worked primarily as an extra blocker in short-yardage situations, seeing 56 offensive snaps for LSU.

72 hours in, defensive back Ryan Yaites entered his name into the portal. Yaites appeared in all 13 games as a backup in 2023, seeing time at safety and on special teams. On the same day, two more 2023 signees entered in linebacker Christian Brathwaite and cornerback Jeremiah Hughes. Brathwaite took a redshirt in the fall and worked as a third-team linebacker during spring practices, while Hughes appeared in all 13 games as a true freshman, seeing time as a backup cornerback for 20-plus snaps while logging 100-plus snaps on special teams. Hughes was working as a backup cornerback during spring practices.

On Tuesday, April 23, early-enrollee Joseph Cryer entered the NCAA Transfer Portal after spending the spring semester at LSU. Cryer, who participated in spring practices, was released from his National Letter of Intent (NLI) by LSU, sources tell The Bengal Tiger staff. Now, Cryer will be able to transfer and enroll as a freshman at another school. He became the seventh LSU player to enter the portal this spring.

LSU is expected to have a handful of other players enter the portal in search of playing time elsewhere, while the Tigers will also add multiple players to the roster ahead of the 2024 season, sources tell The Bengal Tiger staff.

Transfer Portal Window No. 2 – LSU Additions (1)

Additions: (1)

DT Gio Paez (Wisconsin)

LSU has already added one player this offseason in Wisconsin defensive tackle Gio Paez, a veteran in the trenches who helps fill the team’s biggest need.

Paez will leave Wisconsin after the spring semester and enroll at LSU in June.

While LSU could add players at multiple positions, head coach Brian Kelly said the interior of the defensive line is a major focus.

The 2024 Offseason Tracker for the Tigers

Here’s a running list of all the offseason departures and additions for LSU between the first and second NCAA Transfer Portal windows.

Departures: (21)

RB Armoni Goodwin (UAB)

RB Logan Diggs (Ole Miss)

RB Kevontre Bradford (North Texas)

WR Jalen Brown (Florida State)

WR Khai Prean

TE Jackson McGohan (Wisconsin)

TE Connor Gilbreath

OL Marlon Martinez (Mississippi State)

OL Zalance Heard (Tennessee)

OL Joseph Cryer

EDGE Jaxon Howard (Minnesota)

DT Bryce Langston (FAU)

DT Tygee Hill (Oregon State)

DT Fitzgerald West (Louisiana)

DE Quency Wiggins (Colorado)

LB Christian Brathwaite

CB Laterrance Welch (Arizona State)

CB Duce Chestnut (Syracuse)

CB Denver Harris (UTSA)

CB Jeremiah Hughes

S Ryan Yaites

Additions: (7)

QB AJ Swann (Vanderbilt)

WR CJ Daniels (Liberty)

WR Zavion Thomas (Mississippi State)

DT Gio Paez (Wisconsin)

S Jardin Gilbert (Texas A&M)

S Austin Ausberry (Auburn)

CB Jyaire Brown (Ohio State)

More on the NCAA’s Transfer Portal Window No. 2

Of note, Southeastern Conference rules call for athletes who transfer inside the league during the NCAA Spring Transfer Portal Window must sit a year before playing. Texas and Oklahoma will follow the rule this year since they join the conference in the fall.

The spring window runs for 14 days, but after a student-athlete is officially in the portal, there is no rush on making a decision as long as they are properly enrolled at a new institution in time for fall camp. Commitments do not have to be made during the two-week window. Graduate transfers, like Paez, are allowed to enter the portal at any time.