Tag: LSU Transfers

LSU RB Tre Bradford expected to enter transfer portal, per report

LSU’s deep running back room has seen another departure.

The transfer portal doesn’t officially open for non-graduate football players until Monday, but a high number of players have already announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal.

Included in that are several players from LSU’s deep running back room. [autotag]Armoni Goodwin[/autotag] and walk-on Corren Norman plan to enter the portal, and now they’ll be joined by [autotag]Tre Bradford[/autotag], according to a report from 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz.

A four-star recruit in the 2020 class, Bradford initially transferred to Oklahoma briefly following the 2021 season before returning to the Tigers, though he wouldn’t officially rejoin the team until this summer. He appeared in just one game this fall, starting the opener against Florida State.

In that game, he saw four carries for one yard and had a catch for 55 yards, but he was quickly supplanted by [autotag]Logan Diggs[/autotag], [autotag]John Emery Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Josh Williams[/autotag] and others in the running back room.

In three seasons at LSU, Bradford appeared in seven games with two starts, seeing just 16 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown. After a winding career with the Tigers that was marked by a departure and eligibility issues, Bradford will look for a fresh start elsewhere.

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Matt McMahon hopeful Jalen Cook will receiver eligibility waiver

LSU is still waiting to hear a ruling on Jalen Cook’s eligibility appeal.

Matt McMahon said LSU is yet to hear the NCAA’s ruling on Jalen Cook’s waiver appeal.

Cook was denied eligibility after transferring to LSU from Tulane. Cook originally began his career at LSU, making this his second transfer before graduating.

Athletes only get one free transfer before graduating, so Cook was not granted automatic eligibility upon his return to LSU. However, LSU is still fighting to get Cook back out there, appealing the waiver that was denied.

Cook was expected to be a key contributor to this LSU team after averaging 19 points over his two years at Tulane.

In his first year at LSU in 2020-21, Cook averaged 7.5 minutes and 3.1 points per game.

LSU, off to a rough 5-3 start, could use the boost from Cook. According to KenPom, LSU’s defense ranks 72nd nationally, but goes along with an offense that ranks just 135th.

Cook’s scoring would bring immediate improvement to that unit.

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NEW: Backup LSU cornerback enters the transfer portal

Laterrance Welch appeared in nine games with no starts in 2023.

After losing a couple of running backs to the transfer portal earlier this week, LSU saw its first defensive departure on Friday as sophomore cornerback [autotag]Laterrance Welch[/autotag] announced his intentions to leave the program.

The Lafayette native was a four-star recruit and top-150 prospect coming out of high school, but he hasn’t seen a lot of significant playing time in his two years in Baton Rouge.

He appeared in 13 games as a true freshman, most of it coming on special teams, recording four tackles. Entering 2023, he was expected to compete for a starting spot.

Welch ultimately appeared in nine games this fall, but he recorded no starts and totaled just nine tackles with a pass deflection. Down the stretch, true freshmen like [autotag]Ashton Stamps[/autotag] and [autotag]Javen Toviano[/autotag] saw starting reps over Welch.

Welch becomes just the second scholarship LSU player to announce their intentions to enter the transfer portal, joining running back Armoni Goodwin. The transfer portal officially opens for non-graduates on Monday.

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How former LSU transfers fared around the country in 2023

Here’s how former LSU players performed at their new homes in 2023.

LSU’s been heavily involved in the transfer portal the last few years, with several players coming and going.

The coaching change in 2021 led to a exodus of quite a few players and LSU lost another chunk in the portal last year.

Some became stars at their new stop, such as cornerback [autotag]Dwight McGlothern[/autotag], who excelled at Arkansas. On the other hand, some guys are still waiting for their chance, despite hoping their new destination would offer that new opportunity.

As the portal cycle gets underway again this year, let’s check on a few of the players who exited LSU in recent years.

Four LSU Tigers land on ESPN’s top 50 all-time transfers list

Four LSU Tigers made the list. Two of them are playing now, and two of them are from previous teams.

ESPN’s Bill Connelly recently wrote an article on the top 50 transfers in the transfer portal era. Four LSU Tigers made the list. Two of them are playing now, and two of them are from previous teams.

[autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag], [autotag]Cole Tracy[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag] all made the list as four of the top 50 transfer players. Burrow won the Heisman Trophy in 2019 and Daniels has the opportunity to win the Heisman Trophy in 2023.

Wingo transferred from Missouri and he became a leader in Baton Rouge. That earned him the coveted No. 18 uniform to wear this year. Tracy transferred to LSU from Division II Assumption College and became possibly the best kicker in school history.

LSU’s transfer portal class could put the team in College Football Playoff contention

LSU has been able to acquire a lot of talent through the transfer portal under Brian Kelly.

Since the advent of the transfer portal, the entire strategy behind roster-building has shifted.

Now, coaches can turn bad situations around much quicker, and contenders can take the leap from good to great with just a couple of additions. LSU will be one of the teams hoping to do just that this fall.

After bringing in a lot of veteran transfers last offseason, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] has done the same this time around. The team was particularly active on defense, bringing in [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag] and [autotag]Duce Chestnut[/autotag]. But the offense added promising Power Five position players like receiver [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag] and running back [autotag]Logan Diggs[/autotag].

On3’s Jesse Simonton listed the Tigers’ transfer portal class as one that could impact the College Football Playoff race.

Brian Kelly doesn’t want to live long-term via the transfer portal, but the former Notre Dame head coach has used the outlet as a way to beef up LSU’s roster his first two seasons in Baton Rouge.

The SEC West champs added 13 transfers to the roster during the 2023 cycle.

For the second straight autumn, the Tigers’ secondary will feature a whole new host of faces, with Denver Harris, a former 5-star recruit from Texas A&M, Darian ‘Duce’ Chestnut, a Freshman All-American in 2021 from Syracuse, Ohio State backup corner Jakailin Johnson and Zy Alexander, an FCS All-American who had nine picks in two seasons at Southeastern Louisiana, all competing for starting spots.

All-Pac 12 transfer Omar Speights will pair with Harold Perkins to form one of the top 1-2 LB tandems in the country, while Maryland tackle Mason Lunsford (a 13-game starter last season) is a great addition to an offensive line that returns all five starters in 2023.

The Tigers also signed several quality defensive linemen/edge defenders who figure to compete for playing time this fall.

Two potential game-changing transfers on offense are former Alabama speedster Aaron Anderson, a New Orleans native, and Notre Dame tailback Logan Diggs.

Running back was a question mark for LSU entering the summer, but the recent addition of Diggs, who signed with Kelly in 2021 and had over 1,000 total yards as a sophomore in 2022) fills a real need.

With the rest of its returning roster + notable additions like Speights and Diggs, LSU has the makeup of a College Football Playoff team. Whether the Tigers can win the SEC West again and crack the field will likely depend on how a reshuffled secondary shakes out — starting in Week 1 in a monster game vs. FSU.

The Tigers certainly added a lot of new pieces, but this team should be talented once again after a surprisingly successful 10-win season in 2022.

LSU will hope these additions are enough to take yet another leap in 2023.

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LSU transfer Duce Chestnut fully cleared

A key LSU transfer got some good news regarding his recovery.

LSU transfer [autotag]Duce Chestnut[/autotag] made key progress in his recovery this week. The corner was officially cleared for participation according to his Twitter account.

Chestnut missed spring practice after transferring from Syracuse. It seems the injury was occurred after the season, given Chestnut appeared in every regular-season game for the Orange.

He is part of LSU’s overhauled cornerback room. Despite entering his junior year, he’s one of the most experienced defenders on the roster. Chestnut played more than 1,400 snaps with Syracuse.

He has four career interceptions and nine pass breakups. According to PFF, his 75.6 coverage grade in 2022 was top 10 in the ACC among corners with 300 or more snaps.

We don’t know where Chestnut fits into defensive coordinator Matt House’s plans since he didn’t practice this spring, but a starting role is likely within reach. Not many corners on this roster have proven to be consistent at the Power Five level, something Chestnut has done.

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Matt House praises Oregon State transfer Omar Speights’ leadership

Omar Speights could prove to be just the veteran LSU’s defense needs

LSU isn’t returning a ton of experience at linebacker but did add some in the transfer portal with the addition of [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag].

According to defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag], that added experience is making a difference in the linebacker room.

“I love Omar’s approach,” House said in a press conference Tuesday, “The focus he comes in with, the attention to detail he has in his work.”

House said Speights might not be the vocal guy, but is when he needs to be on the field.

“He does a great job modeling, to that whole room, and to Harold (Perkins),” House said.

Speights began his career at Oregon State, where he was an all-conference performer with the Beaver defense.

Speights’ arrival comes as LSU is trying to develop [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] into a traditional inside linebacker. Perkins emerged as a star last year due to his ability to play the edge and tackle in space. He didn’t see much time stacked inside.

House said Perkins came to LSU to learn how to play linebacker, and that’s what they’ve been working on in the spring.

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LSU basketball freshman Corneilous Williams enters transfer portal after taking redshirt year

Williams missed the entire 2022-23 season as he was rehabbing a shoulder injury.

LSU has seen some expected veteran departures to the transfer portal since its terrible 2022-23 season came to a merciful end, but it can now add a promising young player to the list of outgoing talent.

Freshman forward [autotag]Corneilous Williams[/autotag] entered the transfer portal, joining veteran guard [autotag]Justice Hill[/autotag] and center [autotag]Kendal Coleman[/autotag]. Williams spent the year rehabbing a shoulder injury, and the former three-star prospect from Meridian, Mississippi, didn’t appear in a game as he took a redshirt.

“After much thought and consideration, I have decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal and further my athletic career and education elsewhere,” Williams announced in a Twitter post. “I want to thank all my coaches, teammates, and fans that helped me along the way. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity I was given and the bonds and friendships I’ve made at LSU.”

The 6-foot-9, 210-pound player’s departure, along with Coleman’s, leaves LSU fairly thin in the frontcourt as things currently stand. This will almost certainly be addressed in the portal, but keeping and developing a pair of freshmen big men who impressed last season at times in [autotag]Jalen Reed[/autotag] and [autotag]Shawn Phillips[/autotag] will be key.

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LSU loses center Kendal Coleman to the transfer portal

Coleman averaged just eight minutes this season after transferring in from Northwestern State.

After a frustrating first season for the Tigers under coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag], it was expected to be an offseason of change. That has been the case so far as LSU lost starting point guard [autotag]Justice Hill[/autotag] to the transfer portal, and he’s been joined by a depth player in the frontcourt.

Center [autotag]Kendal Coleman[/autotag] will be heading elsewhere after one season in Baton Rouge. A transfer addition last offseason from Northwestern State, Coleman averaged a double-double in 2021-22 but couldn’t carry that success to the SEC.

He averaged just eight minutes per game this season with just 2.3 points and 2.1 rebounds, and he’ll hope he can get a bigger opportunity elsewhere. His departure puts a lot of impetus on the development of younger players in the frontcourt like [autotag]Jalen Reed[/autotag] and [autotag]Shawn Phillips[/autotag].

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