Tag: LSU Transfers

Analyzing every LSU cornerback transfer addition

Here’s what to expect from LSU’s key transfer additions at corner.

For the second year in a row, LSU was forced to rebuild its secondary through the portal.

Last year’s additions — [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag], [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag] — proved to be essential to the success of LSU’s defense.

Garner, Bernard-Converse and Foucha are off to the NFL, and a couple of LSU’s younger corners have hit the portal themselves. The attrition left LSU with few options to start at corner in 2023, none of them proven.

Those concerns have been squashed as LSU is set to bring in a slew of transfer corners. At least a couple from this crew should be in Baton Rouge for more than a year.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see these guys earn starting roles, or at least, make big contributions.

Here’s a look at LSU’s corner additions in the portal.

Former LSU defensive back commits to SMU

Jaelyn Davis-Robinson is returning to his home state of Texas.

Former Tigers cornerback [autotag]Jaelyn Davis-Robinson[/autotag] has found a new home.

The former three-star cornerback in the 2022 recruiting class Waxahachie, Texas, has committed to SMU. In his lone season at LSU, Davis-Robinson appeared in just three games and totaled four tackles.

He was rated as the No. 483 player in the country coming out of high school per the 247Sports Composite.

Davis-Robinson was expected to be a contributor in 2023, so his decision to transfer came as a bit of a surprise, but with additions in the secondary like Duce Chestnut and JK Johnson, as well as several blue-chip true freshmen, he didn’t have a clear path to the field.

Now, he’ll look for a new beginning in Dallas with four remaining seasons of eligibility.

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New LSU corner one of the top transfer additions in the country this week

Duce Chestnut was a crucial pickup for LSU in the portal.

Players only have until Wednesday to enter the transfer portal before the 45-day winter window closes. Once a player has entered the portal, there’s no timetable to decide on a new school, but with that being said, many players are starting to come to decisions in order to be on campus for spring ball.

There was a rush of commitments in the transfer portal this week, including several for the Tigers. Arguably the most impactful of these was [autotag]Duce Chestnut[/autotag], a cornerback that started for Syracuse the last two years and was named a Freshman All-American in 2021.

Chestnut was named the second-best transfer commitment from the past week by On3’s Mike Huguenin.

The skinny: Five transfers played big roles in LSU’s secondary this season, and Duce Chestnut (6-0, 198) should do the same in 2023. He might be the Tigers’ best corner. Regardless, he’ll be a key part of a secondary that – given all the new pieces – was much better than expected in 2022. Chestnut was one of the best true freshman corners in the nation in 2021 – earning some freshman All-America honors – and also played well this season for Syracuse. He started all 24 games in which he played in his two seasons with the Orange and had 83 tackles, four picks and nine pass breakups.

His addition is huge for LSU, which loses [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag] and [autotag]Colby Richardson[/autotag] at cornerback. Chestnut should come in and start, and as Huguenin mentioned, he could be the Tigers’ top corner right off the bat.

LSU brought in a huge transfer class in Brian Kelly’s first offseason, and though it’s a smaller haul this time around, it should be a very impactful one thanks to players like Chestnut.

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LSU lands transfer linebacker from Texas

The Tigers landed veteran Ovie Oghoufo on Thursday.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and the LSU staff received some great news on Thursday when they found out Texas senior linebacker [autotag]Ovie Oghoufo[/autotag] has decided to take his talents to Baton Rouge.

In two seasons as a Longhorn, Oghoufo has 96 tackles, 4.5 sacks for 15 yards, five passes deflected, and two forced fumbles. LSU needed the pick-me-up after linebacker [autotag]Zavier Carter[/autotag] entered his name into the transfer portal earlier in the day.

While the linebacker room may have a lot of talent, they are lacking depth. Linebacker may be the position with the least amount of depth for the 2023 team. [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] is an anomaly, but he needs rest every now and then.

[autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag] has a shot at coming in and starting on Day 1. [autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag] is headed to the NFL. Oghoufo will have a chance to come in and make a big difference for the Tigers next fall. Kelly will be looking to add more talent from the transfer portal.

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Breaking down the future of LSU’s quarterback room after Walker Howard’s departure

Here’s where the LSU QB room stands without Howard.

[autotag]Walker Howard[/autotag] was billed as the future of LSU. Even before the coaching change, before the arrival of [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] or [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], Howard was the guy.

That story has taken a turn. On Wednesday, Howard entered the transfer portal.

An LSU quarterback entering the portal isn’t a surprise. Fans have speculated for months despite Kelly stating he thought the room would remain intact through the spring.

Howard was not expected to compete for the starting job in 2023. With Daniels and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] sticking around, Howard was at least a year away.

From that standpoint, the move makes sense. But if Howard remained a Tiger, it’s not hard to see a scenario where he cruised to the starting job in 2024 or 2025 if Nussmeier left early, whether through the portal or the draft.

LSU’s still in a good spot with Daniels and Nussmeier. Here’s where LSU’s QB room stands now and where it could go moving forward.

Sophomore LSU edge rusher enters transfer portal

Zavier Carter entered the transfer portal after appearing in 18 games in two years with no starts.

LSU’s depth at the edge took another major hit on Thursday as sophomore linebacker outside linebacker [autotag]Zavier Carter[/autotag] entered the transfer portal. The news was first reported by On3’s Matt Zenitz.

Carter, a four-star recruit in the 2021 class, appeared in seven games as a true freshman and 11 this fall as a sophomore. He never made any starts, but he saw significant action against Purdue in the Citrus Bowl thanks to several opt-outs.

He finishes his LSU career with nine total tackles (two for loss), a sack and a forced fumble.

This loss hurts for LSU’s defensive line, but it still returns several edge rushers in [autotag]Quency Wiggins[/autotag] and [autotag]Sai’Vion Jones[/autotag]. The Tigers also added [autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag], an Oregon transfer, and highly touted true freshman [autotag]DaShawn Womack[/autotag].

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BREAKING: True freshman Tigers quarterback Walker Howard enters transfer portal

The promising young passer is moving on after one season with the Tigers.

LSU’s quarterback room took a big hit in the long term on Wednesday as true freshman quarterback [autotag]Walker Howard[/autotag] entered the transfer portal, according to multiple reports.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound passer from St. Thomas More Catholic High School in Lafayette was rated as a four-star recruit and top-50 player nationally coming out of high school by both 247Sports and On3. He spent his true freshman season third on the depth chart behind [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], taking a redshirt.

He appeared in two games in 2022, attempting four passes — all of which came in the Citrus Bowl win over Purdue. He completed two of them for seven yards, and he totaled 33 rushing yards on six attempts on the year.

Howard committed to LSU in June 2020 and held firm through the coaching change last fall despite a late push from Florida. Despite not playing much in his first year on campus, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said after the bowl game that he expected all three scholarship quarterbacks to be with the team for the spring, including Howard.

Daniels and Nussmeier appear poised to duke it out for the starting job once more, though Kelly has reiterated that Daniels is the team’s starter. [autotag]Rickie Collins[/autotag], a four-star quarterback from Baton Rouge who signed with the Tigers in December, will likely take Howard’s spot on the depth chart. However, he won’t enroll until the summer and will not be with the team during spring practice.

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Former LSU two-way player announces transfer destination

Derrick Davis Jr. is heading to the ACC.

[autotag]Derrick Davis Jr.[/autotag], a sophomore former defensive back and running back for the LSU Tigers, announced his transfer destination. Davis has decided to go back home to Pittsburgh and play for the Pitt Panthers in the ACC.

Davis was ranked as a top-five safety in the country for the class of 2021. He chose LSU over Penn State, Alabama and Pittsburgh. Davis played in 17 games in two seasons at LSU and made six tackles.

Davis played running back during the bowl game against Purdue and had a big touchdown run in the fourth quarter to extend the Tigers’ lead. The Panthers finished last season 9-4 with a win over UCLA in the Sun Bowl.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] may look to the transfer portal to try and fill the spot left by Davis on the roster.

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LSU expected to add former blue-chip Ohio State corner JK Johnson

Johnson changed his bio on Twitter to include LSU on Sunday.

LSU has been aggressive in addressing the secondary — and the cornerback position, specifically — so far this offseason. It seems the program is poised to add yet another through the portal.

Ohio State cornerback transfer [autotag]JK Johnson[/autotag] is expected to transfer to LSU. Johnson posted photos from his Baton Rouge visit this weekend, and though he didn’t explicitly commit, he did update his Twitter bio to include the Tigers.

This would be another huge pickup for LSU, which also added Syracuse transfer [autotag]Duce Chestnut[/autotag] on Friday and had already landed a pair of corner transfers in [autotag]Denver Harris[/autotag] and [autotag]Zy Alexander[/autotag].

The DeSmet, Missouri, native is a former top 50 prospect, and he appeared in 15 games, totaling 22 tackles in two years. Johnson appeared in all 13 games this season, starting five of them.

His decision to transfer to LSU makes quite a bit of sense. Tigers cornerbacks coach [autotag]Robert Steeples[/autotag] was Johnson’s head coach in high school at DeSmet Jesuit, and now the pair have reunited on the bayou.

With the departures of [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag], [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag] and others, it was important that LSU land instant impact players in the portal. Johnson would certainly be one.

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LSU picks up big-time Syracuse defensive back transfer Duce Chestnut

The Tigers picked up a former Freshman All-American in the portal.

The Tigers are not done yet in the transfer portal, especially when it comes to rebuilding the secondary. On Sunday, LSU landed a commitment from sophomore Syracuse cornerback [autotag]Duce Chestnut[/autotag], a starter who played in 24 games in two seasons.

Chestnut heads for greener pastures after a stellar two-year career in which he totaled 83 tackles, four interceptions and 13 pass breakups. The Camden, New Jersey, native was named a Freshman All-American in 2021 by multiple national publications and finished as the runner-up in ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.

After the departures of several veterans including [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag] and [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], LSU will turn to Chestnut and its two other transfer corners in Texas A&M’s [autotag]Denver Harris[/autotag] and Southeastern Louisiana’s [autotag]Zy Alexander[/autotag], as well as the three true freshmen it signed at the position.

With only [autotag]Laterrance Welch[/autotag] and [autotag]Sevyn Banks[/autotag] as scholarship returning players at corner, it’s not a surprise coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] has once again opted for an aggressive transfer portal strategy to address corner.

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