LSU Football attacked the transfer portal following the end of the regular season.
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
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
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
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
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
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.