Where every LSU football player in the transfer portal landed

LSU had a handful of players enter the portal. Where did they end up?

With [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] in and [autotag]Ed Orgeron[/autotag] out, LSU was bound to see some departures in the transfer portal. It’s natural with coaching changes.

The Tigers probably did better than some expected, not losing a ton of critical players, though there are certainly some that hurt.

Since November, LSU has had 10 players enter the portal. All but one have found their next home, with receiver [autotag]Deion Smith[/autotag] being the lone remaining player to make a decision. Talent-wise, Smith is one of the best remaining players in the portal, but because of the Tigers’ depth at wide receiver, it’s a loss they can deal with.

With transfers, you never know how big of a loss it is until we have time to see how it all played out, though some are more obvious losses than others, such as cornerback [autotag]Eli Ricks[/autotag].

LSU also had a few transfers end up at division rivals, which is still something new to college football. With that said, let’s take a look at where the players who transferred will be playing this fall.

Trey Palmer could be reuniting with Mickey Joseph at Nebraska

It is likely that Trey Palmer follows Mickey Joseph to Nebraska.

On a day where the Nebraska Cornhuskers found their replacement quarterback for the departing Adrian Martinez. On Friday former Texas Longhorns quarterback Casey Thompson announced that he would head to Lincoln for the 2022 season. Could he have a former LSU Tiger to throw to?

According to Ashton Pollard and Matt Zenitz of On3, former return specialist Trey Palmer could be following his former wide receivers coach Mickey Joseph to the Big Ten.

Wide receivers coach Mickey Joseph isn’t the only pickup Nebraska appears to be getting from the LSU program for 2022.

According to On3’s Matt Zenitz, former LSU wide receiver Trey Palmer will likely transfer to Nebraska with his former position group coach. Palmer had 30 catches for 344 yards and three touchdowns this season. He started four games for the Tigers in 2021 and entered the transfer portal on Dec. 16.

During his career with LSU, Palmer caught 41 passes for 458 yards and three touchdowns. All three came in the 2021 season where he was elevated to starting receiver. In his first two years with LSU, he was a reserve behind Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, and Terrace Marshal Jr. All of which are now in the NFL.

Palmer was known more for his return ability in Baton Rouge having score one touchdown on punt returns and one on kick returns. Having a familiar face in Joseph is likely what drew him to Lincoln and now he could have Thompson throwing him the ball in the new look Cornhuskers offense in 2022.

LSU WR Trey Palmer to enter the transfer portal

Another wide receiver looking to exit Baton Rouge.

Not all of the news coming out of Baton Rouge today is positive. After Myles Brennan announced his return and Miles Frazier transferring to LSU, we have the news of wide receiver Trey Palmer.

According to Matt Fortuna of The Athletic, the talented return man is putting his name in the transfer portal. Palmer joined the Tigers in the 2019 recruiting cycle. He was the No. 18 wide receiver and No. 6 recruit from the state of Louisiana.

In three seasons with LSU, Palmer caught 41 passes for 458 yards and three touchdowns. All of his touchdown receptions came this season as a starting receiver in Jake Peetz’s offense. He was also a return specialist each season with one punt return and one kickoff return for touchdowns in that time.

LSU now has three wide receivers in the transfer portal with Palmer joining Koy Moore and Deion Smith. With speculation that Kayshon Boutte could be next, it will really put a strain on Brian Kelly’s team next season. They will need to find receivers to make an impact on the team.

Some of the WRs currently on the team:

  • Jack Bech
  • Brian Thomas Jr
  • Kayshon Boutte
  • Malik Nabers
  • Jaray Jenkins
  • Jontre Kirklin
  • Devonta Lee
  • Chris Hilton Jr

While there are plenty of bodies, their experience is limited for most of the group. Keeping Boutte in the mix will be priority No. 1 if he does indeed look to head out of Baton Rouge.

The offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach hires will be crucial.

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These players are key for an LSU Tigers victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks

These players are key to win.

It will be quite the game on Saturday for the LSU Tigers. We will find out which of the two quarterbacks will take hold of the starting position. It also will give fans an idea if they should make postseason plans.

The Tigers need two wins in the final three weeks to become bowl eligible with Arkansas, UL-Monroe, and Texas A&M on left on the schedule. The benefit is that all three games will take place in Death Valley.

As LSU prepares to take the field at Tiger Stadium on Saturday against the Hogs, we highlight five players that will be key for a win. Their postseason chances become infinitely more. difficult if they can’t knock off Arkansas.

Saturday Standouts: Which LSU players stood out on Saturday

A look at the players who stood out for LSU on Saturday in the 28-25 victory.

On Saturday afternoon in Starkville, Mississippi, the LSU Tigers came out victorious with the 28-25 victory. The game got close late as the Bulldogs tried to make a late run at a win. The illegal touching on the onside kick attempt sealed their fate.

After a slow start to this game that saw LSU lead 7-3 at the half, the offense really got rolling in the second half. Max Johnson found nine different receivers in this game. His four touchdowns all came on passes of 10+yards.

The defense stepped up in this game, after last year’s embarrassing loss at home. They forced a couple of turnovers and kept everything in front of them for the most part. A missed field goal in the first half by MSU was the difference in a win for LSU and sending the game to overtime.

We look at the five players who stood out for the Bayou Bengals as they improved to 3-1 on the season.

LSU vs Mississippi State: Wide receiver ‘Tale of the Tape’

A look at the tale of the tape for the WRs. Who has the edge in this game?

If you love the passing game, this might be the game for you. Neither team has shown the ability to run the football consistently. Both teams rank at the bottom of the SEC and in all of the FBS. On the flip side of that coin, both teams love to throw the football.

Both Will Rogers and Max Johnson rank among the top 20 in FBS for yards per game. With the added emphasis to the passing game, the wide receivers will play a major role in this game.

Breaking down how the WRs compare

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Which team has the best trio of receivers?

Boutte Palmer Bech Polk Walley Williams
So Jr Fr Class Jr So Sr
6-0 6-0 6-2 Ht 6-3 6-0 6-3
190 180 207 Wt 200 180 200
20 10 10 Rec 25 14 14
223 77 155 Yards 226 166 149
11.2 7.7 15.5 YPC 9.0 11.9 10.6
6 1 1 TDs 1 3 0

Everything revolves around Kayshon Boutte for the LSU Tigers. He is the most dynamic receiver in the game, Jake Peetz needs to continue feeding him throughout the game. Which is a huge reason they moved him around from outside receiver to in the slot, looking for the biggest mismatch.

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Trey Palmer has one touchdown this season and didn’t play against Central Michigan. He needs to get it rolling against Mississippi State to provide some help to Boutte. Palmer and Jack Bech should get plenty of favorable looks with most of the attention going to Boutte. Don’t forget about an emerging player in Deion Smith, who was PFF’s highest-graded receiver in week three.

For the Bulldogs, there are plenty of options in the receiving game for the LSU defense to account for. Former Cal transfer Makai Polk leads the team in yards, while running back Jo’quavious Marks leads the team in receptions. A staple of the ‘Air Raid’ attack leans heavily on the quick passing game, getting the ball into their backs is essentially an extension of the run game.

When it comes to scoring, Jaden Walley is the guy leading the way with three receiving touchdowns. Eli Ricks and Derek Stingley Jr need to be on their game to limit the scoring opportunities. The pass rush will need to apply pressure to Rogers early and often.

In terms of the receivers, we give the edge to LSU.

Wide receivers need to improve on pass catching to help out the offense

Time for the LSU WRs to step it up for the offense.

For the LSU Tigers offense to be even better than they have been, the wide receivers are going to need to step it up. Even top wideout Kayshon Boutte admitted they all need to do better.

“We really talked about it every day. We talk about it and preach about it every day and things we can do to improve on it is catching balls after practice and practicing more with the quarterbacks.”

Looking at the distribution, it is led by Boutte. As it should, the team needs to find more ways to get the ball into the hands of their playmakers. Palmer didn’t play against Central Michigan but still ranks No. 2 in the number of targets along with freshman Jack Bech. The biggest issue being the number of drops between the top four most-targeted receivers, seven between them.

Receiver Targets Receptions Rec % Drops Drop %
Kayshon Boutte 28 19 67.9 3 13.6
Trey Palmer 13 10 76.9 1 9.1
Jack Bech 13 10 76.9 1 9.1
Jaray Jenkins 9 3 33.3 2 40.0
Deion Smith 9 7 77.8 0 0.0
Koy Moore 8 5 62.5 0 0.0
Devonta Lee 7 5 71.4 1 16.7
Brian Thomas Jr 5 3 60.0 2 40.0

Going up against the Mississippi State defense, they will have ample opportunity. The Bulldogs give up the most passing yards per game, and second in the number of touchdown receptions allowed. This is where Boutte could shine for the Tigers, he leads the nation in touchdown receptions.

Much the reason that the LSU offense has moved him around a bit. Boutte has played 44.7% of his snaps from the slot. The defense will have to account for him all over the field, dependent upon where Jake Peetz wants to line him up. Bech is another player who can line up at every wide receiver position and even as an inline tight end.

Look for Boutte and Bech to take advantage of mismatches in the Bulldogs secondary on Saturday. Especially if the run game continues to go missing.

LSU vs McNeese: First half highlights as the Tigers lead 17-0

Highlights and stats from the first half of the LSU-McNeese game.

It was tough sledding for the LSU Tigers early on in the home opener against McNeese. After forcing the punt by the Cowboys, the home team struggled on third downs very early on. The offense needed two fourth-down conversions to get into the end zone for the first time.

The defense didn’t allow McNeese to gain any traction, but the lack of offensive execution kept the Cowboys in this game. At least in the first half. The unit was able to set up the second touchdown of the game. A fumble recovered by Jaquelin Roy set up the offense at the Cowboys’ 28-yard line. A 21-yard run by Ty Davis-Price got the team in the redzone. Johnson found Kayshon Boutte for a three-yard touchdown reception.

On the next drive, it stalled in McNeese territory but Cade York put them on the board once again. He boomed a kick from 55-yards out after Johnson was sacked on third down.

Tigers led at halftime, 17-0

Stats:

Max Johnson: 13/19 104 yards, 2 TDs

Ty Davis-Price: 5 carries, 28 yards

Trey Palmer: 3 receptions, 30 yards, TD

Jack Bech: 3 receptions, 43 yards

Kayshon Boutte: 3 receptions, 14 yards, TD

Highlights:

The Tigers started the scoring when quarterback Max Johnson found Trey Palmer on the 19-yard strike.

In the second quarter, Johnson finds Kayshon Boutte for the easy three-yard touchdown reception.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Patrick on Twitter: @PatrickConnCFB

Postgame Buzz: How Twitter reacted to LSU’s 52-24 win over South Carolina

Here’s a look at how everyone reacted after LSU’s big victory over South Carolina.

LSU celebrated a fun 52-24 win over South Carolina on Saturday night in Death Valley, which led to plenty of fun moments and tweets.

One of the best things about Twitter is how schools continue to let fans in on the postgame festivities, like showing off what the winning locker room felt like after taking care of the Gamecocks.

With Myles Brennan out of action, TJ Finley was set to get the starting nod for the Tigers. Prior to the game, Finley had a chat with Brennan’s father. Later, the LSU student section began chanting Finley’s name.

It was easy to see why…

It was probably a wise decision to get in sync with Terrace Marshall Jr.

Among the highlights in the game was Trey Palmer returning a kickoff 95 yards to the house in the third quarter. It had been a long time coming for the LSU kickoff return unit to celebrate this feeling in front of a home crowd.

WATCH: Trey Palmer turns a disaster into a 95-yard kickoff return

A few former LSU Tigers chimed in with their thought son the game.

See a fun tweet during the game? Be sure to send it our way for possible inclusion next week when LSU faces Auburn.

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Who shined, who came up short in LSU’s 52-24 win over South Carolina

LSU defeated South Carolina 52-24 behind freshman quarterback T.J. Finley’s big game and 135 rushing yards from Tyrion Davis-Price.

The LSU Tigers defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday 52-24 inside Tiger Stadium to improve to 2-2 on the season. South Carolina falls to 2-3 on the season after the loss.

Freshman quarterback T.J. Finley earned his first career start in place of Myles Brennan, who is out with a significant lower-body injury.

Here’s a look at who shined, and who could have a had a better day on the Tigers’ big SEC win.

Stud: QB TJ Finley

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Finley finished the game 17-of-21 passing for 265 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Earning his first career start, the freshman signal-caller stepped up and showed flashes of the future at the position.

Finley also had eight carries for 24 yards and a touchdown on the ground.