LSU still has a big portal need at a major position
LSU football made some big moves in the first week of the transfer portal window, but a few needs remain. Among them is the offensive line.
With tackles Will Campbell and Emery Jones declaring for the NFL draft and guards Miles Frazier and Garrett Dellinger exhausting eligibility, the Tigers are replacing four starters up front. The lone player set to return is center [autotag]DJ Chester. [/autotag]
Despite a flurry of additions, LSU has yet to move on the offensive line, making it LSU’s most urgent need.
LSU likes the talent of the young offensive linemen on the roster. Aside from the draft losses, LSU has handled retention well in the room, with zero of the Tigers’ linemen entering the portal.
We saw glimpses of redshirt freshmen [autotag]Paul Mubenga[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyree Adams[/autotag] at guard in 2024, and the results were mixed. At tackle, LSU has freshman [autotag]Weston Davis[/autotag] waiting in the wings, but he played just 16 snaps in 2024.
But LSU would like to be in a place where it’s not relying on unproven underclassmen in 2025. With quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] back for a fifth year along with a budding star at running back in [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag], LSU’s offense has a chance to be one of the best in the country next year if it can maintain talent on the offensive line.
The move wasn’t a huge splash, but it was a savvy signing for a team in need of quarterback depth. After [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag] flipped to Michigan and [autotag]Ricky Collins[/autotag] entered the transfer portal, LSU needed numbers.
LSU is set at quarterback entering 2025, with starter [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] announcing his return, but Van Buren sets up the succession plan. With three years of eligibility and SEC experience, Van Buren arrives with a high ceiling.
The four-star quarterback made an immediate impact with the Bulldogs in 2024. Mississippi State struggled in head coach Jeff Lebby’s first season, but Van Buren was a bright spot.
Van Buren’s play was far from clean, but there’s a lot to like about the young QB. Today, we’ll break down what LSU is getting with the Maryland native.
Here are five things to know about Van Buren.
1. Van Buren throws a nice deep ball
The most impressive element of Van Buren’s young game is his deep ball. His arm isn’t the strongest, but he understands touch and placement.
Van Buren puts his receivers in a position to make a play. He’s accurate and can make a back-shoulder throw on a line or perfectly drop the ball in a bucket. The ball doesn’t explode out of his hand, but he can find the distance.
17.6% of Van Buren’s attempts in 2024 had 20+ air yards or more. According to PFF, his big-time throw rate on such passes ranked sixth among SEC quarterbacks.
2. Van Buren struggles with short accuracy
Syndication: The Knoxville News-Sentinel
While the deep ball is there, Van Buren’s quick game needs some work. He struggles with accuracy and reading underneath defenders.
Van Buren’s completion rate on throws 0-9 yards ranked dead last in the SEC. His four interceptions on such throws led the conference.
This pick vs. Ole Miss sums it up. Mississippi State’s receiver slips, but this ball was going right to a Rebels’ defender.
As a freshman, things can happen fast. With a year to sit behind Nussmeier, this area of Van Buren’s game should take a step forward.
3. Struggles under pressure, but there’s promise
Syndication: The Clarion-Ledger
Overall, Van Buren’s numbers under pressure weren’t good. He averaged 5.8 yards per attempt facing the blitz and posted a 35.9 PFF passing grade under pressure.
The tape shows promise. By the end of the season, Van Buren didn’t panic out of the pocket when under pressure — a trap young quarterbacks often fall into. When he did leave the pocket, he kept his eyes down field.
Even with defenders in his face, he can step into the throw and deliver the ball on target.
4. Van Buren is mobile
Syndication: The Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Van Buren isn’t a burner, but he’s athletic enough to be a threat with his legs. Defenses had to account for Van Buren when Mississippi State ran the option. That’s something that wasn’t on the table for LSU with Nussmeier.
Van Buren only had two runs of 10+ yards, but notched five rushing touchdowns on the year.
If Van Buren is the starter in 2026, the offense won’t be built around the QB run game, but it may be a factor.
Van Buren’s legs give him flexibility in the pocket, too.
5. Throws with anticipation
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Of all the traits, Van Buren’s anticipation offers the most promise. When working the intermediate and deep levels of the field, Van Buren is able to throw his receivers open. You don’t always see that from young quarterbacks.
It’s a sign Van Buren has the mental tools to play this game at a high level. It’s also a signal Van Buren will eventually get this feeling in the quick game.
When you can throw with anticipation, it helps mitigate everything else. Van Buren doesn’t need to rifle the ball in there if he and the receiver are one step ahead of the defender.
Everything LSU fans should know after a busy week in the transfer portal
LSU football coach Brian Kelly repeatedly stated that LSU would take an aggressive approach in the transfer portal following the 2024 season. The Tigers’ showing so far hasn’t disappointed.
With four commitments and a great chance at securing the top transfer prospect, LSU bolstered its roster at key positions. Kelly’s staff needed to bring in proven talents to build a championship roster, and it has taken a step in the right direction.
Two pass catchers in wide receiver [autotag]Barion Brown[/autotag] and tight end Bauer Sharp, will give quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] reliable targets as Kyren Lacy and Mason Taylor had to the NFL. Brown’s versatility and Sharp’s blocking abilities will help the offense take a step forward.
On the defensive side, LSU secured the portal’s No. 9 cornerback in Ja’Keem Jackson, by leaning on an LSU connection. The purple and gold also improved its defensive front with veteran Jimari Butler.
Here is a list of LSU’s portal commitments so far and one it hopes to reel in sooner rather than later.
Georgia Tech WR Eric Singleton
A former Georgia Tech wide receiver, Singleton told On3 that LSU is one of his top five schools. He is the No. 1 ranked transfer in the 2025 cycle, according to 247Sports and On3, and hasn’t set an announcement date for his commitment. In 2024, the sophomore receiver totaled 754 yards from 56 passes, along with 131 rushing yards.
A versatile playmaker, Singleton would make an immediate impact on an LSU team with a depleted receiver room due to Kyren Lacy and Mason Taylor turning pro and a mass exodus to the transfer portal.
Florida CB Ja’Keem Jackson
LSU announced Jackson’s signing on Saturday morning. He ranks as the No. 9 cornerback in the portal coming out of Florida. As a sophomore, Jackson notched the start in the Gators’ first two games in 2024 before an injury sidelined him for the rest of the season.
The Tigers leaned on LSU secondary coach Corey Raymond, who coached Jackson at Florida in 2023. With its top cornerback headed to the NFL and six transfers, LSU desperately needed depth at defensive back.
Nebraska DE Jimari Butler
Butler’s commitment came on Saturday and rounded out a strong day of transfer portal work for Kelly’s staff. The former Nebraska defensive end is the first front-seven addition to the Tigers’ roster. In 2024, Butler totaled 22 pressures, 22 tackles, and seven tackles for loss.
With two starting edge rushers declaring for the NFL, LSU needed a veteran presence along the defensive line, and Butler provides just that. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
Kentucky WR Barion Brown
Brown’s commitment came on Saturday evening. The rising senior joins LSU after three seasons at Kentucky, where he posted 1,528 total yards and 11 touchdowns. His most productive year came in 2022, when he totaled 50 catches for 628 yards and four touchdowns. A versatile receiver, Brown can line up in the slot and on the outside.
Securing Brown’s commitment gave the Tigers a much-needed playmaker following multiple departures from the receiver room due to the NFL Draft and transfers.
Oklahoma TE Bauer Sharp
LSU wasted no time finding a standout tight end following Mason Taylor’s decision to enter the NFL Draft. An Oklahoma transfer, Sharp marked the Tigers’ first portal commitment and ranks No. 5 at his position in the portal. He’s proven to be a reliable target with 17 first downs and 324 yards.
In his Friday presser, Kelly talked about how the Tigers will benefit from Sharp’s blocking abilities while also utilizing him in the passing game.
Brian Kelly discussed Garrett Nuussmier’s process of returning to LSU
Amid LSU football’s preparation for the Texas Bowl, the Tigers’ starting quarterback revealed his plans for 2025.
[autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] announced his decision to don the purple and gold for his fifth season in an Instagram post on Wednesday. LSU was optimistic about Nussmeier turning the NFL Draft down, and LSU head coach Brian Kelly hinted at it last month.
In a press conference on Friday, LSU head coach[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] shared more information about the recruiting of Nussmeier, who he called “arguably the best quarterback in the SEC and maybe in the country.”
“We did our due diligence,” Kelly said. “We made our case as to why it was in everybody’s best interest for him to come back for another year and re-recruited him from that standpoint.”
LSU will see some heavy losses on the offensive side of the ball, with both starting tackles declaring for the draft, receiver Kyren Lacy graduating, and receiver CJ Daniels hitting the transfer portal. Starting tight end Mason Taylor is turning pro, too.
To maintain continuity and give the team a chance to compete for the SEC and national titles, Kelly knew he had to keep his starting quarterback on the roster.
Nussmeier is healthy and practicing at a limited pace following a shoulder injury that held him out for part of the regular season finale against Oklahoma. The gunslinger returned to the game but is still recovering.
Kelly hinted that Nussmeier would be active in the Texas Bowl on New Year’s Eve.
“We’re trying to keep his load down a little bit right now, and we’ll continue to ramp it up over the next week,” Kelly said.
The Tigers should feel confident in their program moving forward with their starting quarterback returning for the postseason and 2025, especially given the status of the current roster.
“There was always a sense of he’s waited for his opportunity, and he had been such a proponent of LSU and wanting to be here that there was always this sense that he was going to come back, but we never took it for granted,” Kelly said.
According to the On3 Industry Rankings, Sharp was the fifth-best available tight end in the portal.
Tight end is a major position of need for LSU after Mason Taylor declared for the NFL Draft and sophomore Ka’Morreun Pimpton elected to transfer.
Sharp isn’t the only tight end LSU hopes to bring on board. The Tigers are also targeting Purdue transfer Max Klare and Arkansas transfer Luke Hasz. It’s unclear how the addition of Sharp affects LSU’s pursuit there. LSU likely needs to add more than one tight end.
This isn’t Sharp’s first stop in Louisiana. The former Sooner began his career at Southeastern Louisiana, a program that just happens to be on LSU’s 2025 schedule.
Sharp will get to face both of his former teams in 2025, with LSU set to close the regular season in Norman.
Sharp’s 324 yards in 2024 ranked ninth among SEC tight ends. He picked up 17 first downs for the Sooners, ranking sixth among the same group. Sharp doesn’t need to be a dynamic playmaker for LSU, but the Tigers need a competent security blanket for quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier. [/autotag]
Nussmeier had some early 2025 NFL Draft buzz but will stay in school for one more year
Cross one of the more intriguing names at quarterback off the list for the 2025 NFL Draft. LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier announced in a lengthy video post on social media that he is returning to Baton Rouge for the 2025 college season.
Nussmeier is a redshirt junior who took over as the Tigers’ starter following Jayden Daniels, who is thriving with the Washington Commanders as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-2 Nussmeier started out the season strongly for LSU but faded in draft evaluation eyes as he faced tougher defenses in the SEC.
Still, he was often projected as a top-50 overall pick. Now that will wait for the 2026 NFL Draft. Nussmeier figures to enter the next college season as one of the top potential QBs in that year’s draft class.
Where does LSU stand after tight Ka’Morreun Pimpton entered the transfer portal?
On Tuesday, LSU tight end Ka’Morreun Pimpton entered the transfer portal. The news came a week after [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] declared for the NFL draft, leaving LSU’s tight end room thin.
Pimpton was a four-star in the 2023 recruiting class — Brian Kelly’s first full class at LSU. He was one of three tight ends to sign with LSU that year, joining Mac Markway and Jackson McGohan.
Now, two years later, Pimpton, Markway, and McGohan have all transferred.
The cupboard is bare in LSU’s tight end room. The only returning TE with a target is Trey’Dez Green, and most of his action came at wide receiver.
Green is an elite talent, but he’s not ready to be your prototypical all-around tight end who can block some of the best defensive ends in the country.
With [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] at QB, the TE is a critical piece in this offense. Nussmeier used Taylor as a safety blanket, and the Tigers need an extra blocker with Nussmeier not being a run threat.
Let’s take a look at where LSU goes from here.
Pimpton had potential
Pimpton wasn’t an every-down contributor yet, but he was finding his way on the field in spurts. He played 58 snaps in LSU’s final three games — more than he’s played in any three-game stretch.
According to PFF, LSU’s regular-season finale was the best game of Pimpton’s career. He posted a 70.5 run block grade in 13 snaps while catching two passes for 53 yards. If Pimpton offered that type of production in 2025, he was going to be a central figure in this offense.
It’s worth noting that Pimpton would be on his third position coach in three years. Mike Denbrock led the room in 2023 before taking the offensive coordinator job at Notre Dame. Slade Nagle coached the group in 2024 but is off to call plays at Houston.
Can Green take the next step?
Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Nobody is denying the talent Trey’Dez Green has as a pass catcher. It’s why LSU went out of its way to get Green on the field and involved in the offense. He’s 6’7′, and if he puts it together, he’s a mismatch nightmare for defenses.
But LSU doesn’t yet feel confident in Green’s ability as a blocker. LSU held back from putting him in those positions as a freshman, but with another year in the weight room, Green has a chance to be a classic tight end.
At the same time, LSU can’t put all its chips in that basket for 2025. Green may break out as a receiving target, but he’s a year or two away from being a plus-blocker against SEC defenders.
Transfer Targets
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All of this means LSU must hit the transfer portal for a tight end or two. The Tigers have already shown interest in Luke Hasz out of Arkansas. Hasz is one of the top names in the portal, which means the Tigers will have some stiff competition.
According to On3, the best TE available is Purdue’s Max Klare. If LSU wants to take a big swing, that’s who the Tigers go out and get.
Klare is a prototypical tight end. He’s a threat in the receiving game and he can block.
Along with a big name, LSU will likely take a player transferring up. Again, building depth here is critical and LSU needs more than one transfer to do that. Look for the Tigers to take a player they trust as a blocker, even if he’s not a huge receiving threat.
LSU football will get its QB1 for another year. [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] announced his return on Wednesday.
The LSU QB took to social media to release a video detailing his decision. [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] hinted at Nussmeier’s return for weeks, but now it’s official.
After serving as Jayden Daniels’ backup in 2022 and 2023, Nussmeier took over the starting role in 2024 Results were mixed, but Nussmeier led LSU to wins over Ole Miss and South Carolina — two teams top-15 ranked teams.
In a day and age where so many talented QBs transfer, Nussmeier opted to stick it out and wait his turn at LSU.
When Nussmeier was on, he was as good as anyone in the country. Some of the throws he made were NFL-caliber. That arm talent led to speculation that Nussmeier would turn pro, but the NFL will have to wait a year.
No QB in the SEC was asked to throw as much as Nussmeier. His 491 attempts led the conference as LSU struggled to develop a run game.
He threw for 3,739 yards and 26 touchdowns, completing 63.7% of his passes.
Nussmeier struggled during LSU’s three-game losing streak but finished the year with strong performances against Vanderbilt and Oklahoma.
LSU’s had good luck with quarterbacks returning for a fifth year in the past. Daniels and Joe Burrow both won the Heisman after coming back for year five.
What did Brian Kelly and Garrett Nussmeier say about the LSU QB’s performance?
LSU quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] headed to the locker room in the first quarter of Saturday’s game against Oklahoma with an apparent shoulder injury.
It appeared doubtful that he would return to the game but the redshirt junior gunslinger found his way back to the field and finished the game with 277 yards and three touchdowns.
Two of those touchdown passes went to junior wide receiver [autotag]Chris Hilton[/autotag] for big plays with the pair finally establishing a deep-ball connection.
Head coach Brian Kelly praised Nussmeier for his “grit and toughness” against the Sooners.
“That’s an easy tap-out for most people,” Kelly said. “That’s an easy one to say, ‘I’m not coming back’ but that’s the kind of player he is. That’s the kind of competitor he is.”
Following the game, Kelly and Nussmeier acknowledged the noise surrounding the program from LSU’s midseason three-game losing streak to the recruiting trail.
Despite the chaos, the Tigers stayed the course and finished the 2024 regular season with two wins in Death Valley and await their bowl game selection.
“When they’re talked about in a manner that they have been over the past two to three weeks, you want them to buckle down, but on their mouth guard and go out there and play,” Kelly said. “That’s what they did and that’s what he [Nussmeier] did.”
Saturday marked the final home game for several LSU seniors, which made Nussmeier push even harder to return in order to help “send these seniors out on the right note.”
“I wanted to be out here for these guys,” Nussmeier said. “I’m going to miss these seniors. LSU means so much to me, these colors mean so much to me. I couldn’t imagine sitting there and watching some of my teammates play their last game without me.”
Who saw their stock rise and fall in LSU’s big win over Oklahoma
Coming into tonight’s game against Oklahoma, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and the LSU Tigers were coming off of a win over Vanderbilt. On the other hand, Oklahoma was coming off of a big win at home over Alabama. The question entering the game was if Oklahoma would suffer a hangover from that win.
It appeared as though they may have still been hungover from their big win last week as LSU came out with a big 37-17 win over Boomer Sooner. On senior night, the seniors on this team decided to go out with a bang.
A few of the key players in this game were Garrett Nussmeier, Caden Durham, Chris Hilton Jr., and Whit Weeks. Those four guys were a big reason why the Tigers won.
Let’s look at the players who saw their stock rise or fall in this game.
Stock Up: Caden Durham
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[autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] was the leading rusher for the Tigers tonight as he finished the game with 11 carries for 80 yards. His longest rush of the night was a 50-yard scamper.
Stock Down: Penalties
Scott Kinser-Imagn Images
The biggest thing I want to harp on in this game is penalties. LSU had 6 penalties for 46 yards. In the first half, the Offensive Line had a holding penalty and two false start penalties.
Stock Up: Garrett Nussmeier
Syndication: The Daily Advertiser
[autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] played well once again, although he left the game with an injury for a short period. He finished the game 22-for-31 throwing for 277 yards and three touchdowns.
Stock Up: Chris Hilton Jr.
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
[autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag] only had two receptions tonight but they were both big ones. He had two receptions for 85 yards against Oklahoma but both of his receptions went for touchdowns.
Stock Up: Whit Weeks
Syndication: The Daily Advertiser
[autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag] was phenomenal for the Tigers tonight. He finished the game with the most tackles on the team (15) with nine of those being solo tackles.
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