LSU's Transfer Portal Tracker: Who's in, Who's out

The first NCAA Transfer Portal Window has come and gone.

So, too, has both the Early Signing Period and National Signing Day for the 2023 recruiting class.

The Tigers reeled in 25 high school signees this cycle, with all 25 prospects signing in December. LSU finished with the No. 5 class on the On3 Consensus Football Team Recruiting Rankings.

Meanwhile, LSU football head coach Brian Kelly was active in the NCAA Transfer Portal, once again.

For the second year in a row, the Tigers have taken double-digit transfers out of the portal. After closing out with 16 transfers (and even more transfers joining the team as preferred walk-ons) a year ago, LSU has 11 transfer portal additions this offseason.

The Tigers also had 17 players enter the portal, including 15 former Tigers who were on roster for the 2022 season.

Here’s the rundown on how things played out for LSU after the first NCAA Transfer Portal window, which ran from December to January.

The second portal window runs from May 1-15, and with scholarships still available, the Tigers are expected to continue to recruit players from the portal ahead of the 2023 season.

Transferred out: (17)

QB Walker Howard (Ole Miss)

WR Jack Bech (TCU)

TE Kole Taylor (West Virginia)

OT Cameron Wire (Tulane)

OT Marcus Dumervil (Maryland)

OL Xavier Hill (Memphis)

OL Kardell Thomas

EDGE Zavier Carter (UNLV)

EDGE Phillip Webb (Jackson State)

EDGE Desmond Little 

LB DeMario Tolan (Auburn)

LB Antoine Sampah (Campbell)

LB Kolbe Fields (Louisiana Tech)

CB Raydarious Jones (Mississippi State)

CB Damarius McGhee (Kansas)

CB Jaelyn Davis-Robinson (SMU)

S Derrick Davis Jr. (Pitt)

*** Only two LSU players who entered the NCAA Transfer Portal have yet to commit to a new school: junior edge rusher Desmond Little and senior offensive lineman Kardell Thomas. Thomas said he planned to leave as a graduate transfer after completing his degree this spring.

*** Three former LSU players transferred to SEC schools with quarterback Walker Howard to Ole Miss, linebacker DeMario Tolan to Auburn and cornerback Raydarious Jones to Mississippi State. The Tigers will have faced all three SEC West teams by October 14, and Tolan and Jones could well be starters for both teams.

*** Only three of LSU’s 17 transfer portal entrants started a game for the Tigers in 2023. Wide receiver Jack Bech led the way with four starts, while tight end Kole Taylor made two starts and offensive tackle Cam Wire made one start.

*** The departure of quarterback Walker Howard after one season with the program leaves the Tigers with three scholarship quarterbacks for the 2023 season: senior Jayden Daniels, sophomore Garrett Nussmeier and freshman Rickie Collins.

*** The biggest hit to LSU’s 2023 roster can be argued as Tolan, a true freshman at linebacker who was inching his way into more and more playing time as the season played out. Tolan did not travel with the team for the Citrus Bowl, and he announced his decision to enter the portal soon after. Tolan, a Florida native, will play this season at Auburn.

Transferred in: (11)

WR Aaron Anderson

EDGE Bradyn Swinson

EDGE Ovie Oghoufo

DL Paris Shand

DT Jordan Jefferson

DT Jalen Lee

LB Omar Speights

CB Denver Harris

CB Zy Alexander

CB Duce Chestnut

CB JK Johnson

*** The LSU football staff has reeled in 11 transfers, and all 11 come from different college programs. The SEC and Pac 12 led the way with three players from each conference. LSU landed Alabama’s Aaron Anderson, Texas A&M’s Denver Harris and Florida’s Jalen Lee out of the SEC. The Tigers reeled in Oregon State’s Omar Speights, Oregon’s Bradyn Swinson and Arizona’s Paris Shand from the PAC 12.

*** The Tigers took one player from each Power 5 conference. In addition to the trio of additions from the SEC and PAC 12, LSU added two Big 12 players in Texas edge rusher Ovie Oghoufo and West Virginia defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson. The Tigers then added a Big 10 cornerback in Ohio State’s JK Johnson and an ACC cornerback in Syracuse’s Duce Chestnut.

*** Of the 11 transfers, only one comes from the FCS level. LSU added Southeastern cornerback Zy Alexander, who was an FCS All-American during his time in Hammond (La.). The Loreauville native spent three seasons with the Lions, appearing in 31 games and logging 97 tackles, 12 pass breakups and nine interceptions.

*** Alabama wide receiver and New Orleans native Aaron Anderson is the lone transfer portal addition on offense. The former Top 100 prospect left the state a year ago, but now Anderson returns home as an instant-impact player for the Tigers. LSU fans can expect Anderson to see plenty of playing time at wide receiver, and he will compete for the team’s starting spot on punt returns.

*** Brian Kelly circled defensive line and cornerback as two areas the Tigers needed to address in the portal, and LSU did just that. Of the 10 transfers on defense, five are defensive linemen and four are cornerbacks.