LSU DE Da’Shawn Womack announced his intention to enter the transfer portal. Womack was a five-star recruit in 2023 and served as a rotational piece for two years in Baton Rouge.
Womack’s talent is clear. While he was yet to become a major contributor, he had all the tools.
Womack isn’t the only defensive end LSU is losing. The Tigers are losing seniors [autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Sai’Vion Jones[/autotag] to the NFL, both starters. [autotag]Paris Shand[/autotag], a versatile lineman who played on the interior and the edge, is also graduating.
As it stands, [autotag]Gabe Reliford[/autotag] is the only LSU DE slated to return who played 50+ snaps in 2024.
That leaves LSU with a big hole to fill on the edge. Not just when it comes to depth, but at the starting level.
Reliford will be a breakout candidate in 2025. His seven pressures ranked fourth among true freshman pass rushers in the SEC this year.
LSU will add one DE in its high school signing class — four-star Damien Shanklin. The Tigers will need Shanklin to make an immediate impact. Last year, LSU signed four-star CJ Jackson out of high school. LSU will count on his development, too.
But LSU will have to hit the portal hard. Brian Kelly said LSU plans to be aggressive on the transfer market and I’d expect a handful of those resources to be spent on 2-3 defensive ends.
The portal won’t be overflowing with elite defensive ends, but it’s a position where you can find impact transfers. Texas A&M did it with Nic Scourton, South Carolina with Kyle Kennard.
LSU needs to find this year’s version of Scourton and Kennard.