Lane Kiffin has been counting down the days until the opening of the transfer portal window since he was hired as LSU’s football coach on November 30th. Kiffin is known as the “Portal King” for his ability to identify and sign talented players out of the transfer portal.
He has said on more than one occasion that none of the significant players on the 2025 Ole Miss offense are from Mississippi.
Kiffin believes that now that he is coaching at a school with larger financial resources and a tradition of winning championships, he can have even more success through the portal.
Here is a look at LSU’s needs as the transfer portal window opens on January 2nd.
Quarterback: This is the big one. Looks like Michael Van Buren is staying, and he is the only scholarship QB on LSU’s roster, but there are questions on whether he can be a successful starter at a major Power Four school.
Because there is just one scholarship QB on the roster, LSU will likely sign two signal callers out of the portal.
LSU has been linked to Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt, Florida’s DJ Lagway, and Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby. Sorsby has put up big numbers at Cincinnati, 5,613 passing yards and 1,027 rushing yards, the last two seasons, but he has one year of eligibility left, while Lagway and Leavitt have two years left.
Running back: Harlem Berry has already announced he is returning for his sophomore season. Berry finished second on the team in rushing with 491 yards and two touchdowns. There was a report that LSU’s leading rusher, Caden Durham, would get in the transfer portal, but nothing official from Durham.
LSU will likely add at least one running back. There is a lot of speculation that Ole Miss’s dynamic running back Kewan Lacy will follow Kiffin to LSU.
Receiver: Zavion Thomas, Chris Hilton, and Barion Brown are out of eligibility, and Aaron Anderson has decided to forgo his final year of eligibility.
It appears LSU is also losing slot receiver Kyle Parker, who told On3 sports on Thursday that he's entering the transfer portal. This is a big loss. Parker had 31 catches for 330 yards and four touchdowns. His receivers coach at LSU, Cortez Hankton, was hired at Ohio State, so Parker could be interested in playing for the Buckeyes.
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So who is left? Destyn Hill, Philip Wright, and TaRon Francis are three New Orleans area players who are intriguing prospects.
The 2026 recruiting class includes a couple of talented receivers from Louisiana: Lafayette Christian’s Brayden Allen and Destrehan’s Jabari Mack.
I would expect LSU to sign several receivers out of the portal. Auburn’s Cam Coleman would be a terrific addition, but Texas is reportedly the favorite to sign Coleman.
Pittsburgh’s Kenny Johnson and Michigan State’s Nick Marsh will get a lot of interest.
Tight End: Trey’Dez Green is the unquestioned starter after catching seven touchdown passes this past season. JD LaFleur is another 6-7 tight end who should be in line for playing time. But Donovan Green, primarily a blocker, is headed to the transfer portal.
JC Anderson is a four-star recruit out of Illinois who is coming to LSU.
Adding a tight end that complements Green will be a priority. A blocking tight end might be needed as well.
Offensive line: Six LSU offensive linemen have entered the portal. There is the possibility that they can convince a couple of them to stay at LSU, guys like Carrius Curne and Tyree Adams.
It is unclear if starting center Braelin Moore is returning. Can this new staff get more out of offensive tackle Weston Davis?
Expect LSU to sign multiple offensive linemen out of the portal. Former LSU Tiger Lance Heard is from Neville High School and has become an All-SEC OT at Tennessee. Maybe he is interested in coming back to LSU at the right price.
Defensive Line: LSU has to replace its entire starting defensive line, so heavy lifting will be done through the transfer portal to rebuild the defensive line.
Sophomore defensive end Gabriel Reliford has upside, and defensive tackle Dominick McKinley needs to start living up to his five-star high school recruiting ranking next season.
LSU’s 2026 recruiting class features several highly rated defensive linemen, Lamar Brown, Richard Anderson, Trenton Henderson, and Deuce Geralds, but you also need some experienced D-linemen.
Linebacker: Big news was announced on New Year’s Day as LSU star linebacker Whit Weeks said he is returning for his senior season. The Tigers also have Tylen Singleton and Davhon Keys returning. Several freshmen linebackers will be pushing for playing time next season: Zach Weeks, Charles Ross, and Keylan Moses.
LSU will miss the play-making ability of Harold Perkins. Is there someone who could duplicate that in the portal?
Secondary: LSU is good at cornerback, but could still add another veteran, as PJ Woodland and DJ Pickett are expected to be your starters. Dashawn Spears and Tamarcus Cooley are likely starting safeties.
Ja’Keem Jackson, played mostly special teams at LSU in 2025 after transferring in from Florida, could be your slot corner.
LSU could add another veteran or two at safety as well.
Place Kicker: Damian Ramos is out of eligibility after making a school record 69 field goals. Kick off specialist Aeron Burrell appears to be his replacement, but Evan Noel from Florida reportedly intends to enter the transfer portal.
He did not kick for the Gators in 2025, but was considered the top high school kicker in the Class of 2025. The special teams coach at Florida in 2025, Joe Houston, is now at LSU and recruited Noel to come to Gainesville.
One final note. There will be a lot of focus on signing quarterbacks and offensive linemen, but do not forget about the upgrades that need to occur on defense. The top four scoring defenses in the country, Ohio State, Indiana, Texas Tech, and Miami all made the CFP quarterfinals.