dj pickett

Transfer portal update: More potential LSU targets enter the portal

Here are five big portal names LSU fans should know

After the transfer portal opened on Monday, names continued to flood the market. LSU football is already active, setting up visits with several top prospects.

LSU head coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] signaled an aggressive approach from the Tigers, and while dominoes are yet to fall, LSU is setting up for a massive portal haul.

Things are moving fast, and more names are entering than the average fan has time to keep up with. We’ll take some time to update you on recent entries that make sense for LSU.

These are prospects at positions of need for LSU, whether the Tigers are looking to add a star or just build depth.

LSU’s roster has quite a few holes, especially with most of the 2023 signing class not working out. Ideally, those prospects would be entering their junior years ready for central roles at LSU, but only a handful of 2023 signees remain with the Tigers. LSU needs to add proven veterans to make up for that.

Here are some transfer portal names to know as of Thursday.

Ben Bell, Defensive End — Texas State

Per the On3 Industry Rankings, Bell is the top defender available.

He only played four games with the Bobcats in 2024 in hopes of getting another year to transfer up. But in those four games, Bell posted 23 pressures and four sacks. Last year, Bell had 53 pressures.

It’s rare to see a player on the transfer market with 123 pressures and 20 sacks in his career, but Bell is a proven producer.

Xavier Chaplin, Tackle — Virginia Tech

LSU is losing at least three offensive linemen to the NFL this year. If [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag] declares, that total grows to four.

LSU needs portal addition across the board on the offensive line. The Tigers need guys that can start and depth pieces. Chaplin is the former. According to On3, he’s the No. 6 ranked transfer.

He’s 6’7′ with two years of starting experience at left tackle. He’s a good run blocker, and that’s something LSU needs after struggling to get a push on the ground in 2024.

Tacario Davis, Cornerback — Arizona

Davis is one of the top names in the transfer portal. According to the On3 Industry Rankings, he’s the No. 7 overall available prospect.

LSU is losing [autotag]Zy Alexander[/autotag] to the NFL. Davis would make a fine replacement.

Alexander had the size to cover SEC wide receivers man-to-man. Davis has the same ability at 6’3′. LSU needs corners it can trust on an island in Blake Baker’s defense — Tacario Davis is just that.

Josh Moten, Cornerback — Marshall

He played in the Sun Belt, but Moten was one of the top cornerbacks in the country in 2024. Per PFF, the only CB with a better coverage grade than Moten was Heisman trophy favorite Travis Hunter.

LSU’s secondary is still young. It’s talented but young. LSU needs to go out and land a veteran like Moten to pair with corners like [autotag]Ashton Stamps[/autotag] and [autotag]DJ Pickett.[/autotag]

Brice Pollock, Cornerback — Mississippi State

Cornerback isn’t the highest priority for LSU, but if LSU can land a proven SEC starter, they’ll take it.

Mississippi State’s defense struggled in 2024, but Pollock wasn’t to blame. According to PFF, he posted a 75.8 defensive grade while playing 720 snaps for the Bulldogs. He recorded five pass breakups and posted an 81.2 passer rating when targeted.

Brian Kelly on which 2025 class signees can play for LSU as true freshman

Brian Kelly discussed who he sees making an immediate impact as a freshman in 2025

Following LSU’s National Early Signing Day festivities, head coach Brian Kelly shed some light on who he sees ahead of the pack in the class.

The Tigers’ 2025 signing class, headlined by two five-star recruits, ranks ninth in the country and sixth in the SEC according to On3’s industry rankings.

Kelly points to both emotional and physical maturity as separators for who can see the field early in their careers.

In terms of physicality, offensive linemen Carius Curne and Brett Bordelon fit the bill.

“I felt like, physically, [Carius] might be one of the strongest players that I’ve recruited in a long time,” Kelly said. “Bordelon is physically as strong as some of the offensive linemen we have.”

Luckily for Curne and Brodelon, they’ll be blocking for the class’ top running back in Harlem Berry. Him, alongside four-star wide receiver Phillip Wright III, stand out as the skill players who could make an immediate impact, according to Kelly.

“Can they make that flip and transition? Because they certainly have the skill to do it,” Kelly said.

On defense, Kelly pointed to Zion Williams as being on par with Curne and Bordelon in terms of size and strength, saying he is “a guy that you could plug in immediately.”

[autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag] also received praise from the Tigers’ head coach. A five-star cornerback, Pickett possesses the “length” and “pedigree” to play as a true freshman, according to Kelly.

Jahkeem Stewart commits to USC despite late push from LSU

The top prospect in Louisiana spurned LSU to head out west

A New Orleans native and five-star prospect chose a Southern California school over LSU, despite a last-minute push from the Tigers.

[autotag]Jahkeem Stewart[/autotag] committed to USC during Wednesday’s National Early Signing Day. The defensive line prospect announced his decision on “College Football Live” in a ceremony at Edna Karr High School.

The top-rated prospect in Louisiana, Stewart also received interest from Oregon and Ohio State down the stretch. However, the Trojans landed the five-star prospect.

LSU inked two five-star recruits in cornerback [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag] and [autotag]Harlem Berry[/autotag], headlining a 2025 class currently ranked ninth in the nation and sixth in the SEC.

With the transfer portal opening in five days and a spring signing period looming, the Tigers have plenty of time to bolster their roster heading into next season.

Last week, head coach Brian Kelly emphasized the importance of both opportunities. He highlighted “the strength of the entire roster” when confronted with concerns about the quarterback position, especially following top-rated Bryce Underwood’s flip to Michigan.

Five-star cornerback DJ Pickett officially signs with LSU

Five-star cornerback DJ Pickett made it official and signed with LSU on Wednesday

After weeks of anxiety, LSU fans can take a breather. Five-star cornerback [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag] is officially an LSU Tiger.

Losses have piled up for the LSU 2025 recruiting class in recent weeks and there was concern Pickett would be another, but [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and Corey Raymond got it across the finish line.

LSU hired Raymond to recruit cornerbacks of Pickett’s caliber and return LSU to the days of DBU.

Getting Picket on campus is the first step in that direction. According to On3 and Rivals, Pickett is the No. 1 CB in the class. He’s a consensus five-star and the On3 Industry Rankings rank Pickett as the No. 10 overall recruit.

After losing [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag], Pickett is the top signee of LSU’s class. The Tigers will expect Pickett to make an immediate impact in 2025. He has the talent to come in and compete for a starting spot.

LSU had to hold off suitors until the end. Miami, Oregon, and Georgia all desired Pickett’s services.

Nation’s top running back Harlem Berry officially signs with LSU

LSU made it official with five-star running back Harlem Berry on Wednesday

LSU officially inked one of its five-star commits during Wednesday’s National Early Signing Day.

[autotag]Harlem Berry[/autotag] made his commitment official during the early signing period. The Metairie, LA native ranks as the top running back in the 2025 class and was recruited closely by associate head coach and running back coach Frank Wilson along with offensive coordinator Joe Sloan.

The Tigers beat out SEC foes Florida, Texas, and Alabama for Berry. He announced his commitment in January and has not wavered from his home state school. Head coach Brian Kelly and Sloan jumped on the opportunity to sign a top-rated recruit in their territory as they offered him in June 2023.

Berry provides an influx of talent to an LSU running back room that has struggled to maintain depth. He’ll join fellow blue-chip recruit [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag], who broke out as a freshman in 2024.

Berry is one of two five-star commitments for the Tigers. [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag] is the top recruit in Florida and is the top cornerback in the country, per On3 and Rivals. LSU expects to make Pickett official on Wednesday afternoon.

LSU recruiting class takes another massive hit with five-star flip

LSU’s 2025 recruiting class took another massive hit on Tuesday.

LSU football’s 2025 recruiting class has seen an exodus in the last several weeks and it continued on Tuesday with five-star cornerback Kade Phillips flipping to Texas.

According to the On3 Industry Rankings, Phillips is the No. 5 ranked corner in the class. He was a key part of LSU’s secondary rebuild and the loss delivers a massive blow to an LSU class already wounded by major flips.

On3 ranks Phillips as a five-star while 247Sports, ESPN, and Rivals have Phillips as a four-star.

Phillips was originally committed to Texas before flipping to LSU over in the Summer. Now, a day before Early Signing Day, Phillips is back in the Longhorns class.

LSU head coach Brian Kelly brought secondary coach Corey Raymond back to LSU to land players of Phillips’ caliber. LSU is still hoping to sign a collection of blue-chip defensive backs, including five-star [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag] and four-star Aidan Anding.

LSU’s class was once in contention to be one of the best in the country. It’s now merely a good class, rather than an elite one.

Phillips is the fourth major loss in the last month. It began with four-star offensive lineman Devin Harper flipping to Ole Miss. Just a few days later, five-star QB Bryce Underwood flipped to Michigan. LSU lost four-star DE LaJesse Harrold over the weekend too.

After Phillips flip, LSU’s class ranks No. 7 nationally.

Georgia’s top 2025 recruiting targets for early signing period

Georgia Bulldogs football recruiting key priorities for the early signing period

With early signing period starting on Wednesday, here are some recruits that are uncommitted to UGA. The Georgia Bulldogs has a good chance on receiving their national letter of intent.

Justus Terry

The 6-foot-5, 275 pound defensive lineman plays high school football at Manchester High School in Manchester, Georgia. Terry is the second-ranked recruit in Georgia and the second-ranked defensive lineman in the country. Terry is a consensus five-star across all recruiting platforms.

Terry was committed to Georgia back in summer of 2023 then decommited to commit to the USC Trojans. Later, he decommited from USC and now he is waiting to make his final decision on Friday, Dec. 6 on where he will be ending up at.

DJ Pickett

DJ Pickett, who is a member of the class of 2025, plays football for Zephyrhills High School, which is located outside of Tampa, Florida. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound defensive back is the No. 2 player at his position in the 2025 recruiting class.

Pickett visited Georgia when they played against Tennessee and he was left very impressed on what Georgia brings to the table. Julian Humphrey entering the transfer portal means Pickett could play significant snaps on day one.

Kevin Wynn

Kevin Wynn is a four-star defensive line recruit. Wynn plays high school football for Greene County High School in Greensboro, Georgia.

The 6-foot-2, 320-pound defensive lineman is ranked as the No. 74 recruit nationally, the No. 9 player at his position, and the No. 11 recruit in Georgia.

Wynn has been committed to the Florida State Seminoles since June but he has been taking more visits to other colleges. Georgia received a visit from Wynn in the eight overtime 44-42 thriller win against Georgia Tech. Kirby Smart and company are looking to see if theatrics were enough to receive Wynn’s pledge. Florida State finished the regular season 2-10 and has struggled to keep their top recruits.

Four-star recruit decommits from LSU, may join Florida State

LSU’s 2025 recruiting class took another hit on Thursday night. Can Brian Kelly keep the class together?

LSU football’s 2025 recruiting class took another hit on Thursday night. Four-star DE La Jesse Harrold decommited and became the third blue-chip recruit to leave the LSU class in the last two weeks.

Last week, LSU lost Devin Harper and [autotag]Bryce Underwood.[/autotag] Now Harrold joins the exodus.

According to reports, Florida State is the favorite to land Harrold. The Florida native had been computed to LSU since June 22.

A month ago, LSU had a chance to finish with the best recruiting class in the country. Now, LSU is just trying to hold it together and finish with a top-eight class. The Tigers’ class is taking hits, but we aren’t seeing many pieces added to make up for it.

Harrold may not be the last to leave. Four-star wide receiver Derek Meadows is reportedly trending to Alabama. Meadows has been committed to LSU since July.

According to On3, LSU’s class still ranks sixth nationally. If the Tigers hold on to five-star CB [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag] and a few others, the class will remain a success.

Georgia’s top flip targets in the 2025 recruiting class

Flip targets for Georgia football in the 2025 recruiting class

Early signing day is two weeks away and Georgia has been ramping up their recruiting for their 2025 class. After the flip of former Florida State wide receiver CJ Wiley committing to Georgia earlier this month, the Bulldogs are nowhere near done. Georgia is coming off a huge 31-17 win against No. 12 Tennessee there is a lot of momentum for UGA on the recruiting trail.

Who are Georgia football’s top flip targets in the class of 2025?

Donovan Starr

Four-star cornerback Donovan Starr was in attendance for the Tennessee game this past weekend. The Bulldogs extended an offer late last month.

The Auburn commit is drawing interest from other programs and has recently taken official visits to Alabama and Vanderbilt. The Tennessee game was Starr’s first in-depth experience of a game day at Georgia. Expect the Bulldogs to stay continue recruiting Starr to add to their second-best recruiting class in the nation (UGA is ranked behind Ohio State according to On3).

Pickett is the big fish that could turn a lot of heads in the national media. The five-star cornerback is committed to the LSU Tigers and visited UGA for the Tennessee game.

Pickett, who is 6-foot-4, possesses rare size at corner. Oregon, LSU, and Miami are all competing in the number one cornerback sweepstakes as well with Georgia. If Pickett signs with Georgia, then it would be the second year in a row where the No. 1 corner committed to UGA.

Tavion Wallace

Georgia may want add another difference-maker at linebacker and the in-state four-star prospect and Arkansas recruit Tavion Wallace fits the bill. Wallace has been to Athens three times including his official visit which happened in July.

With Wallace being a frequent visitor, there is some real momentum coming from Georgia to lure Wallace away from Arkansas.

KaMario Taylor

The Georgia Bulldogs have offered a scholarship to quarterback recruit KaMario Taylor, who is a four-star prospect ranked across all recruiting services. Taylor is from Noxubee County in Macon, Mississippi, has been committed to Mississippi State since Oct. 2023.

Georgia has been looking to add talent in the quarterback room with Carson Beck likely leaving after this season. Taylor is a dual-threat quarterback that possesses mobility that has not been in the quarterback room since Justin Fields.

Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele

Sagapolutele is another quarterback prospect that Georgia wants to come into the room and compete. The Bulldogs recently offered a scholarship in October to four-star California Bears quarterback commitment Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele.

Sagapolutele is a recent riser in the On3 rankings to five-star status. He is scheduled to come to the UMass game this Saturday. Although he is committed to Cal, Oregon and Georgia are emerging as strong contenders to persuade Sagapolutele to come on their campuses this winter as.an early enrollee.

5-star LSU commit thinks Georgia has a better night atmosphere

Five-star recruit, LSU commit prefers Georgia’s night atmosphere over LSU’s. Can UGA flip the elite cornerback?

Five-star LSU Tigers commitment DJ Pickett recently visited the University of Georgia for the Tennessee game. Pickett came away very impressed with Georgia’s environment for the Tennessee game.

“Georgia’s atmosphere is the best I have seen at night,” said Pickett after the Georgia-Tennessee game. LSU is often considered to be the best night environment in the country, but Pickett and statistics disagree.

Georgia has won a school-record 29 straight home games. The Bulldogs have not lost a night game in Athens in a very long time. LSU is coming off an embarrassing 42-13 loss to Alabama at home and at night. LSU is looking to start a new night game winning streak. The Tigers have a pair of night games to finish the season.

Pickett, who is a member of the class of 2025, plays football for Zephyrhills High School, which is located outside of Tampa, Florida.

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound defensive back is the No. 2 player at his position in the 2025 recruiting class. Pickett is the No. 1 player in Florida and the No. 10 player in the nation in the 2025 recruiting cycle, per 247Sports.

Pickett has been committed to LSU since July 2024. Kirby Smart and Georgia would love to flip Pickett because UGA has only two cornerback commitments in the class of 2025.