Tag: LSU Football

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.

Why LSU should target former NC State receiver in transfer portal

Names are already flooding the transfer portal. Should LSU target a former NC State receiver?

Transfer portal season is about to kick into high gear. With LSU football out of the playoff discussion, the Tigers can turn their attention to building for 2025.

LSU wasn’t aggressive in the portal last year, but Tigers’ head coach Brian Kelly told fans to expect a different approach this year. LSU is going to be active in the portal.

The portal officially opens next week, but a handful of players already announced their intention to transfer.

That list includes NC State wide receiver Kevin Concepcion.

Concepcion broke out as a true freshman in 2023 with the Wolfpack. His 845 yards and 10 touchdowns were some of the best marks in the country among underclassmen receivers.

He returned with high hopes in 2024. but the entire NC State offense struggled, including Concepcion.

Concepcion caught 53 passes for 460 yards in 2024. His yards per catch was down an entire three yards and his catch rate was down 8%.

But NC State saw a lack of production across the board and the talent is still evident.

LSU is losing receiver [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] but may return [autotag]CJ Daniels[/autotag] and [autotag]Aaron Anderson.[/autotag] The Tigers could use a true X receiver and Concepcion fits that mold.

I’d expect LSU to target a receiver if the fit makes sense and it does here.

Can LSU flip five-star offensive linemen Solomon Thomas from FSU?

Can LSU flip a five-star offensive linemen from Florida State 24 hours out from signing day?

Early National Signing Day is 48 hours away. Few elite recruits remain left on the board, but schools are making final pushes to flip the top players in the nation.

It’s no different at LSU, where the Tigers are hoping to add five-star offensive lineman Solomon Thomas to the class. Thomas is committed to Florida State, but LSU and Florida are in the race.

Per reports, this one is still up in the air.

Thomas has made multiple visits to LSU in the last year and Tigers’ offensive line coach Brad Davis is a strong recruiter.

LSU’s 2025 recruiting class has taken some hits in recent weeks. Blue-chip offensive lineman Devin Harper flipped to Ole Miss, giving the Tigers a need on the offensive line.

Adding Thomas would be a nice way of filling that void.

According to On3, Thomas is the No. 2 interior offensive lineman in the class and the No. 4 overall player in Florida.

The recruiting cycle is winding down with most top recruits expected to sign on Wednesday. LSU should have an answer on this in the next 24-48 hours.

LSU’s 2025 class ranks No. 6 nationally, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. Thomas gives LSU a chance to finish in the top five.

LSU’s latest bowl game projections following Oklahoma victory

What bowl game will LSU play in this year?

LSU football’s regular season is over. Now, the Tigers await their bowl destination.

Conference title games are on Saturday. On Sunday, the College Football Playoff committee will release their final rankings and seed the playoff teams. After that, the remaining bowl games will fill their slots.

A few possible options are emerging for LSU. After an 8-4 season, the Tigers will be considered for a bid in the SEC’s top non-playoff bowl games.

Brian Kelly is 2-0 in bowl games at LSU so far. The Tigers blew out Purdue in the 2022 Citrus Bowl and pulled off a fourth-quarter comeback against Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl last year.

Kelly and the Tigers can’t hit 10 wins this year, but a bowl win gives LSU a three-game win streak to close the year and momentum to carry into the offseason.

There are three real possibilities for LSU right now. Let’s jump in and see where the Tigers could be spending New Year’s.

Music City Bowl

USA Today Sports is projecting LSU to the Music City Bowl, where the Tigers would face Michigan.

LSU’s last trip to the Music City Bowl came in 2014. Brian Kelly’s Notre Dame team picked up the win.

Texas Bowl

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach is slating LSU to the Texas Bowl against Baylor. The match would pit LSU against former Tiger defensive coordinator Dave Aranda.

LSU’s last Texas Bowl appearance was in 2015 when the Tigers beat Texas Tech and Patrick Mahomes.

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl

ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura projects LSU to the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, taking on Duke.

As of now, these are the three likeliest destinations. I wouldn’t bet on back-to-back trips to the ReliaQuest Bowl and the Citrus Bowl will take one of the SEC’s 9-3 squads that didn’t make the playoff.

LSU wide receiver Landon Ibieta plans to enter transfer portal

LSU will lose another offensive player to the transfer portal when it opens next week

A second LSU offensive player is expected to enter the transfer portal upon its opening on December 9.

247Sports is reporting that wide receiver [autotag]Landon Ibieta[/autotag] will be searching for a new school following the conclusion of the 2024 regular season.

The redshirt sophomore dealt with injuries during his time in Baton Rouge, which led to limited playing time.

Ibieta made two appearances in three seasons with the Tigers. One of the appearances came in the 2022 Citrus Bowl against Purdue where he made two catches for 15 yards. He saw the field once this year in a 34-10 win over Arkansas.

A native of Mandeville, LA, Ibieta is a former 3-star recruit from the class of 2022. His decision to attend his home state school came in December of 2021 after a de-commitment from Miami and flip to the Tigers on the same day. He also received offers from Nebraska, Louisville, and Virginia.

Ibieta is the second LSU player to enter the portal after a report surfaced about quarterback Rickie Collins’ intent to play elsewhere.

LSU DT earns honor from SEC after Oklahoma performance

LSU true freshman defensive tackle emerging as a key difference maker, earning honors from SEC.

LSU football’s [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] capped his first season with a strong performance against Oklahoma. On Monday, the SEC rewarded McKinley with the Freshman of the Week award.

Following the win, LSU head coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said McKinley was unblockable. McKinley came up big with two sacks and three stops on the night.

His three sacks are tied for most among true freshman defensive tackles in the Power Four. A five-star in LSU’s 2024 class, McKinley is starting to emerge as a key part of LSU’s future.

LSU needed an influx of talent at defensive tackle. McKinley was the headliner of a strong defensive line class that also included Ahmad Breaux. Both were ready to contribute early.

McKinley didn’t enroll early and dealt with an injury throughout fall camp. Considering that, he’s ahead of schedule in his development. With a full offseason under defensive line coach Bo Davis, McKinley can be an all-conference caliber player.

LSU needs its defense to take another step forward next year. The emergence of McKinley should give LSU confidence in that happening.

Does LSU have a shot with Jahkeem Stewart 48 hours out from signing day?

Does LSU still have a shot to sign Jahkeem Stewart — the top-ranked recruit in Louisiana?

Signing day is less than 48 hours away and the top player in Louisiana is still on the board.

DL [autotag]Jahkeem Stewart[/autotag], a New Orleans native, is ranked as the No. 16 overall recruit in the class and No. 3 at his position. Stewart was originally the top-ranked recruit in 2026 before reclassifying to 2025.

He remains uncommitted, making him LSU’s top target in these final hours.

Momentum was not on LSU’s side the last few weeks as reports indicated Stewart was likely to leave the state.

But according to On3’s Steve Wiltfong, Stewart took a visit to LSU last week, and this one isn’t over.

Five-stars from Louisiana typically don’t leave the state. [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] was the top recruit in Louisiana last year and was originally committed to Texas A&M, but LSU was persistent and earned McKinley’s commitment on New Year’s Day.

LSU will hope Stewart’s recruitment mirrors McKinley’s.

With Frank Wilson and Bo Davis leading the recruiting charge for LSU, the Tigers have the firepower to pull it off. And with Underwood out of the picture, LSU has money to spend too.

LSU signed a good defensive tackle class last year, but it remains a position of need as Brian Kelly tries to restack his defense.

LSU closed the year with back-to-back wins, restoring some momentum to the program. I’d still bet Stewart heads elsewhere, but Stewart donning the purple and gold can’t be ruled out.

Does Rickie Collins transfer mean Garrett Nussmeier is returning to LSU?

Rickie Collins hit the transfer portal. What does that mean for the LSU QB room?

Transfer portal season is about to kick into high gear with the regular season coming to a close. For LSU, it began on Sunday with quarterback Rickie Collins entering the portal.

Collins was a four-star recruit in 2023 but didn’t see much in action in two years behind Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier. Losing a young blue-chip recruit isn’t ideal, but it’s hard to maintain depth at the QB position.

You can only play one of them and guys that ride the bench will explore options elsewhere.

What does the loss of Collins mean for LSU?

An optimist would say it means current starter Nussmeier is coming back.

If Nussmeier were to declare for the NFL draft, Collins would have a prime opportunity to compete for a starting job. Leaving now wouldn’t make a ton of sense unless he just wanted a change of scenery, which is always possible.

But if Nussmeier does return, it’s another year where LSU’s QB1 is already solidified. Collins wanting to look elsewhere makes sense for a talented player entering his third-year of college.

Last week, Brian Kelly said he was hopeful when it came to Nussmeier’s return. Kelly has also hinted at key players preparing to announce their intention to come back.

Nussmeier said he will play in the bowl game, but has not made any further announcement regarding his future. But if you’re reading the tea leaves, there are good signs.

LSU quarterback Rickie Collins enters transfer portal

LSU is losing a quarterback to the transfer portal

LSU football took its first transfer portal loss of the season on Sunday with backup quarterback [autotag]Rickie Collins[/autotag] jumping in.

The news was first reported by Hayes Fawcett of On3Sports.

Collins was a four-star prospect in the class of 2023. He has three years of eligibility remaining after redshirting last fall.

Collins entered the year in a battle for QB2 with Vanderbilt transfer AJ Swann. He saw limited action in his time with LSU, attempting just seven passes to go along with seven carries. Collins posted 37 yards through the air and 38 on the ground.

When Garrett Nussmeier went down with a shoulder injury vs. Oklahoma, it was Swann entering in relief, not Collins.

Some LSU fans may take this as a sign that Nussmeier plans to return. If Nussmeier declared for the draft, Collins would be in the thick of a quarterback battle, especially with Bryce Underwood flipping to Michigan.

Collins won’t be the first Tiger to transfer out of Baton Rouge. In the modern era, there’s sure to be a handful every year.

LSU absent from US LBM Coaches Poll despite Oklahoma win

Should LSU football be ranked after beating Oklahoma in week 14?

After back-to-back wins, LSU is still absent from the US LBM Coaches Poll. The Tigers beat Oklahoma 37-17 on Saturday night, but it wasn’t enough.

LSU didn’t even make the receiving votes group.

Elsewhere in the state, Tulane fell from the poll after losing to Memphis on Thanksgiving night. Tulane was in the receiving votes column, earning 37 points. Louisiana is in the same group, earning 11 points.

LSU was ranked for most of the year until it lost at Florida and the final loss of a three-game losing streak pushed LSU to 6-4 before the Tigers bounced back to finish 8-4.

With South Carolina coming in at No. 12 and Ole Miss at No. 15, LSU has two wins over the top 15 teams. However, three of the Tigers’ four losses were to teams finishing unranked — USC, Texas A&M, and Florida. 

The Tigers now await their bowl destination, which will be released next week following the College Football Playoff selection show.

Here’s a look at the complete US LBM Coaches Poll.

Rank Team Record Points
1 Oregon Ducks 12-0 1,325 (53)
2 Texas Longhorns 11-1 1,272
3 Penn State Nittany Lions 11-1 1,192
4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 11-1 1,165
5 Georgia Bulldogs 10-2 1,104
6 Tennessee Volunteers 10-2 1,025
7 SMU Mustangs 11-1 977
8 Ohio State Buckeyes 10-2 976
9 Indiana Hoosiers 11-1 895
10 Boise State Broncos 11-1 840
11 Alabama Crimson Tide 9-3 733
12 South Carolina Gamecocks 9-3 700
13 Arizona State Sun Devils 10-2 665
14 Miami Hurricanes 10-2 646
15 Ole Miss Rebels 9-3 638
16 Iowa State Cyclones 10-2 565
17 Clemson Tigers 9-3 457
18 BYU Cougars 10-2 419
19 UNLV Rebels 10-2 255
20 Missouri Tigers 9-3 229
21 Illinois Fighting Illini 9-3 225
22 Colorado Buffaloes 9-3 215
23 Army Black Knights 10-1 196
24 Memphis Tigers 10-2 187
25 Syracuse Orange 9-3 108