Where does 247Sports rank LSU football’s 2025 transfer portal class?
LSU football is assembling one of the top transfer portal classes in the country. Tigers’ head coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said LSU planned to be aggressive, and the results have backed it up.
According to ESPN, LSU landed four of the top 13 ranked transfers in the portal.
Former Kentucky wide receiver [autotag]Barion Brown[/autotag] is the top-ranked of the bunch, sitting at No. 8 overall.
On Brown, ESPN says he brings “speed, speed, and more speed” to LSU.
“Brown should see a lot of targets for the Tigers next season and will continue to be a game-changer in the return game,” ESPN added.
Joining Brown at the top of the class are former Oklahoma wide receiver [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], Virginia Tech transfer cornerback [autotag]Mansoor Delane[/autotag], and FSU transfer defensive end [autotag]Patrick Payton.[/autotag]
According to 247Sports, LSU’s transfer class is the best in the country, sitting at No. 1 ahead of Texas Tech.
LSU’s signed 14 transfers thus far, eight of them being four-stars.
LSU’s average transfer rating of 89.77 isn’t the best mark in the country, though it’s near the top. But no other program has matched LSU’s quality with the same volume.
Kelly and the staff are making it a point to fill needs. Payton leads a strong group of transfers at defensive end, and Delane helps replace the veteran presence that LSU is losing with cornerback [autotag]Zy Alexander[/autotag] moving on.
After an 8-4 regular season, LSU’s portal additions, along with key returnees, will have LSU expecting to compete for the playoffs in 2025.
But the portal gives and the portal takes. The Tigers have lost a handful of their own players to the transfer portal. Seventeen LSU players hit the portal. Per On3, the average rating of LSU’s portal exits is 73.06.
Head coach Brian Kelly encouraged his staff to take an aggressive approach to the winter portal window. The staff secured a commitment from 247Sports’ No. 2 ranked transfer defensive end [autotag]Patrick Payton.[/autotag]
Along with Payton, LSU signed a plethora of players that rank near the top at their position.
When it comes to the exits, parts of LSU’s 2024 roster provided a boost to teams shopping in the portal during the winter period. Out of the top five transfer portal entrants, at least one will be playing for an SEC foe.
Here are the top five transfers from LSU in the 2025 winter transfer portal period, according to 247Sports.
No. 5 — Ka’Morreun Pimpton
Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
With Mason Taylor heading to the NFL Draft, the starting spot at tight end is up for grabs. However, Pimpton elected to take his talents elsewhere after two seasons in Baton Rouge. He saw extended playing time in the regular season finale against Oklahoma and recorded a career-high 53 receiving yards. Pimpton totaled 11 appearances with six catches for 79 yards in 2024.
On December 21, Pimpton announced he would continue his career at TCU. The Horned Frogs finished 9-4, including a 34-3 victory over Louisiana in the New Mexico Bowl on Saturday.
No. 4 — Jay’viar Suggs
Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun
247 Sports ranks Suggs as a three-star prospect in the portal. The defensive tackle entered the portal on December 11 and hasn’t selected his next school yet. It’s his second stint as a transfer, as he picked LSU after five years at Grand Valley State. He’ll have one season of eligibility remaining.
In his sole season with LSU, Suggs totaled 10 tackles, including 2.5 sacks, along with two pass breakups.
No. 3 — Rickie Collins
Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Collins entered the portal on December 1 after two seasons with the Tigers. He played behind Heisman winner Jayden Daniels in 2023 and Garrett Nussmeie[anyclip-media thumbnail=”undefined” playlistId=”undefined” content=”dW5kZWZpbmVk”][/anyclip-media]r in 2024 before deciding to explore other options. With Nussmeier announcing his return for next season, Collins likely would’ve been competing for the backup role.
Through two seasons, the Baton Rouge, LA native made four appearances and passed seven times for 38 yards. Collins committed to Syracuse on December 20 with hopes of earning the starting role on a rising ACC team. 247 Sports rated Collins a three-star transfer and the No. 21 quarterback in the portal.
No. 2 — Da’Shawn Womack
(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
LSU won’t have to wait long to see Womack again as he transferred to Ole Miss. The two SEC foes meet in Oxford on September 27. The edge rusher drew a four-star transfer rating from 247 Sports and was ranked as the No. 12 defensive end. Womack entered the portal on December 3 and chose the Rebels nine days later.
Through two seasons, Womack totaled 21 tackles, including 2.5 sacks and four pass deflections. Increased depth and veteran presence at the defensive end led to a decreased role for Womack in 2024, as he only played in eight games. With three years of eligibility left, he’ll look to develop into a veteran presence on the edge.
No. 1 — CJ Daniels
Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
A second stint in the transfer portal led Daniels to choose Miami. 247Sports ranked the wide receiver a four-star prospect after spending the 2024 season at LSU. He made 42 catches for 480 yards after spending four seasons at Liberty. Daniels’ 2023 season with 1,067 receiving yards put him on the radar of Power 5 teams.
A mass exodus of receivers to the NFL and portal following the regular season opened room for ascension up the depth chart. Instead of staying in Baton Rouge to take his shot at the room’s top position, Daniels elected to take his talents to the ACC. Throughout his five-year career, he’s amassed 2,439 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns.
LSU football made it official with its top two transfer portal defenders
LSU football officially added two top defensive transfers to its roster over the weekend.
[autotag]Patrick Payton[/autotag] and [autotag]Mansoor Delane[/autotag] put pen to paper, according to LSU’s social media posts. Delane’s announcement came on Friday and Payton followed on Sunday.
Delane verbally committed on December 16 after three seasons at Virginia Tech. There was some initial confusion when Delane’s signing wasn’t announced soon after. LSU fans can rest easy now.
At cornerback, he totaled 146 total tackles, 16 pass deflections and four forced fumbles. In 2024, Delane posted 54 total tackles, seven pass deflections and four interceptions.
On3’s Industry Rankings slots Delane as a four-star cornerback. He is No. 2 at his position and No. 39 overall. With the Hokies, he demonstrated the ability to defend in pass coverage while also making open-field tackles.
Payton drew a four-star ranking from On3’s Industry Rankings. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 2 player in the portal after a standout three seasons at Florida State. In his career, Payton totaled 90 pressures and 14 sacks. He’s stout against the run and a proven veteran presence needed in the LSU room.
Texas A&M HC Mike Elko might need to break the bank for one of the top pass rushers in the transfer portal
Texas A&M has brought in six players from the transfer portal this offseason, including former Nebraska tight end Nate Boerkircher, who will enhance the team’s blocking for both pass and run protection.
For those upset with the Aggies’ lack of success in landing defensive linemen from the portal, patience is key, as Coach Mike Elko and his staff signed defensive end Nic Scourton and several other defenders in early January last offseason, which could be the case this offseason over the next couple of weeks.
However, it’s fair to be worried that Elko and his staff have likely been outbid concerning several defensive end transfer options, including former Purdue Will Heldt, who committed to Clemson on Thursday afternoon. Heldt’s visit to Texas A&M was seemingly successful, but this move made sense given the Tiger’s tracker record of developing defensive linemen.
Nevertheless, plenty of DL options are available in the portal, including former Florida State defensive end Patrick Payton, looking for a new home to play his final collegiate season.
Through three seasons, Payton was the 2022 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, recording 109 tackles, 16 sacks, 32 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, and 12 pass deflections.
If healthy, Payton would be an immediate plug-and-play option to replace Nic Scourton’s lost production while taking the pressure off incoming senior DL Cashius Howell.
BREAKING: Florida State EDGE Patrick Payton plans to enter the Transfer Portal, he tells @on3sports
The 6’5 250 EDGE totaled 109 Tackles, 32 TFL, 16 Sacks, 12 PD, & 3 FF in 3 seasons with FSU
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
CFB Week 0: Scouting preview for the first handful of college games including Florida State vs. Georgia Tech
College football is back! It’s not in full force yet, but there are a few college games in what is deemed Week 0 kicking off.
For those of us in the NFL Draft world, that means it’s time to start scouting the new season of potential 2025 draft prospects. And there will be some in action on Saturday, August 24th.
Most of them will be in Dublin, Ireland for the ACC matchup between the Florida State Seminoles and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Florida State lost a ton of talent to the 2024 NFL Draft, but the Seminoles still have an impressive 16 players who made the Senior Bowl watchlist.
The two most prominent are defensive linemen Darrell Jackson and Patrick Payton. Jackson is especially intriguing because we didn’t get to see him in 2023 after transferring from Miami. The 330ish-pounder had a lot of impressive game tape at Miami and Maryland before that.
Payton toyed with declaring in 2024 but will now hope to succeed first-rounder Jared Verse and get himself into the first-round conversation for 2025. The 6-foot-5 Payton had seven sacks and 14.5 TFLs in 2023.
Well-traveled QB D.J. Uiagalelei takes over at QB for Florida State with hopes that things will click enough for him to become a viable NFL draft prospect. Others to watch include talented CB Fentrell Cypress and speedy slasher Lawrance Toafili at running back. It’s also the first chance to see Marvin Jones Jr. in a Seminoles uniform, as the son of Florida State’s legendary linebacker has transferred in (from Georgia) as a defensive lineman.
Georgia Tech has five players on the Senior Bowl watchlist and all are linemen. Massive DT Zeek Biggers, all 6-foot-6 and 333 pounds of him, patrols the middle nicely and is the most likely Tech player to get drafted, at least from a preseason perspective. He’ll need to finish plays better. Center Weston Franklin allowed just one sack in 2023 and has barrel;-chested strength inside.
In other games:
Montana State vs. New Mexico
The FCS-level Bobcats are favored on the road in New Mexico by two touchdowns, and it’s a reflection of the relative talent level. Montana State EDGE Brody Grebe is one of three Bobcats on the Senior Bowl watchlist, and he’s got some real pass-rush juice at 250 pounds. Right tackle Marcus Wehr is one of the top FCS prospects for the 2025 draft cycle. Brendan Hall also made the list, and he’s MSU’s punter and kicker.
SMU at Nevada
The Mustangs look to run out of the gate with a talented team that features QB Preston Stone. The dual-threat passer needs a little work on his accuracy, but he’s smart and fearless as both a runner and passer. Slot receiver Jake Bailey is very good after the catch and sure-handed, and he could have a big day against the Wolfpack. Stone and Bailey are two of the nine SMU players who made the Senior Bowl watchlist.
The 49ers selected a pass rusher in this 2025 mock draft. While OL may top their list of needs, pass rush is always a good guess for San Francisco in Round 1.
Let’s dive into one final mock draft of the offseason before we dive into the 49ers’ 2024 campaign, shall we?
A first-round projection from our friends at the Draft Wire offers an interesting talking point that will surround any discussion about San Francisco’s future. The pick at No. 31 for the 49ers is Florida State edge rusher Patrick Payton.
Payton is listed at 6-5, 210 pounds which doesn’t necessarily scream ‘NFL edge rusher,’ but that’s something we’ll sort out closer to the draft once he goes through the height/weight portion of the pre-draft process. He has played 28 games across three years at Florida State, and has 12.0 sacks with 20.5 tackles for loss. If he improves again in 2024, there’s a chance he’ll go much earlier than 31st overall.
All of that is mostly beside the point though since so much changes about the draft throughout the college season. What’s intriguing from the 49ers’ standpoint here is that they’d pick an edge rusher in Round 1 instead of addressing some glaring needs on the offensive line (and potentially in the secondary).
However, it stands to reason that San Francisco would rather go that route while addressing the offensive front elsewhere in the draft. They’ve shown time and time again during the John Lynch-Kyle Shanahan tenure that they’ll prioritize their defensive line and play makers in the first round. The only time they strayed from that was the selection of right tackle Mike McGlinchey at No. 9 overall in the 2018 draft. Without a pick inside the top 10, we can almost guarantee the 49ers will go with defensive line or offensive playmaker.
This season could certainly change that. If Colton McKivitz struggles again at right tackle, or if Trent Williams decides to retire, or if rookie Dominick Puni struggles to make any mark as an offensive tackle, the 49ers might be forced to maneuver and get into the range where they can take an offensive lineman in Round 1.
For now though signs point to another offensive weapon or defensive lineman for the 49ers in the first round of the 2025 draft, making the Payton projection a good one given where we are on the calendar.
