Mason Lunsford opens up on his LSU transfer decision

LSU landed commitment No. 12 from the NCAA Transfer Portal with the addition of Maryland offensive lineman Mason Lunsford.

Lunsford, who had multiple college transfer offers and had a visit to Arkansas on deck, spent the past weekend in Baton Rouge on an LSU visit.

Soon after leaving campus, Lunsford shut down his process and announced his decision to transfer to LSU with two years of eligibility remaining.

While Lunsford found a landing spot in the SEC West, the decision to leave his home state after starting more than 20 games for the Terrapins wasn’t an easy one.

“It’s a lot of weight off my shoulders,” he said. “It was a tough decision. I had to think about (entering the portal) for a long time. It was kind of scary because you don’t know what happens when you enter the portal. You aren’t sure if the grass is greener.

“I am glad I did it, though. I talked with a lot of people about it before I decided to go through with it. They talked about how it was crowded in the portal. I have a lot of love for Maryland. I am always a Terp. I am about to graduate. But I also just wanted a fresh start for my final two years of eligibility.

“Maryland means a lot to me. I went to high school in Maryland. It was always a dream to play for the state. I started for a couple years. It was awesome. I met my girlfriend here. It’s been great.”

When the LSU offer first arrived, Lunsford said his transfer portal decision took off in an entirely new direction.

“It was unreal,” he said. “I remember I was in class when I got the call from an LSU area code. I stepped out and had a great conversation with (LSU offensive line coach Brad Davis). It really was unreal. It felt like a dream.”

Lunsford has since gotten to know his future position coach even better, and the trip to LSU gave him the chance to meet up with some of LSU’s current starters on the offensive line.

“Coach Davis, he’s a character. He’s a funny dude,” Lunsford said. “All the guys on the team were great, too. I got to meet Miles Frazier and Will Campbell. Miles was my official visit host. He transferred here last year, and he talked to me about what it would be like and the transition. So that was good for me.

“I knew going into it that I loved what they were talking about. They were pitching me that they have a realistic shot at winning a championship this year. You don’t have that with every school. Going in, I was kind of sold on it.”

One thing that helped push the Tigers over the top was LSU’s decision to offer his younger brother Martin Lunsford a walk-on position with the linebackers in Baton Rouge.

“When we were at dinner and they gave my little brother a walk-on spot, that meant a lot to me,” Lunsford said. “He just turned 18 a couple weeks ago. I’m 21 now. He’s a senior in high school now and technically I am a senior in college. So, this is our first chance to play together. We will be roommates, too. It’s really cool.”

After meeting with Davis and LSU head coach Brian Kelly, Lunsford said the message is clear.

While the Tigers return five players who started games on the offensive line during the 2022 season, Lunsford is confident in both his ability to compete and what it means to join the LSU program for his final seasons of college football.

“They both said I have a lot of potential,” Lunsford said. “They loved my film and what they saw from me. They know they can help develop me so that I can reach my full potential. They both have great track records with offensive linemen.

“I will do whatever they ask me. I am mostly an interior guy. I can play guard or center. It’s a long time since I played tackle, but I can dust off the boots.

“I knew going into the process that I was not going to be concerned about competition or whether I would start or not. I just wanted to pick the best team and give it my all. If I start, great. If not, I will help out. I am not scared by competition. I want to play with the best. I want to be with the best.”

Lunsford started all 13 games in 2021 and 12 games in 2022 after being moved to left guard by the Maryland staff. In 2020, he played in three of five games with his first career start coming at guard in the final regular season game against Rutgers. In 2019, he played in two contests.

A former three-star prospect in 2019 out of Good Counsel (Md.), Lunsford ranked as the No. 132 overall offensive tackle and No. 22 overall prospect in Maryland, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Now, he will leave his home state with a degree in hand as he begins the transition to college football at LSU.

“I am graduating in the spring, then I will probably be down to campus at the end of May,” Lunsford said.