As expected, LSU receiver Brian Thomas and Mekhi Wingo entered their names into the NFL draft on Tuesday. Thomas is a projected first round draft pick after catching 16 touchdown passes in the 2023 season. That’s the third highest total in LSU history. Jamar Chase had 20 and Justin Jefferson had 18 during the 2019 national championship season. Thomas had 68 catches for 1,177 yards.
Wingo was one of LSU’s better defensive linemen, finishing with 4.5 sacks in eight games. He had two sacks in the fourth quarter in the ReliaQuest Bowl and you can make the argument LSU does not win that game if he didn’t come back after undergoing surgery during the middle of the season.
LSU defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson is also entering the NFL draft after racking up 36 tackles and seven tackles for a loss. He’ll play in the East-West Shrine game.
Still no word on if Maason Smith or Jacobian Guillory will return.
LSU looks a little light at the defensive tackle. Still on the roster is former Live Oak star Jalen Lee. The transfer from Florida only recorded two tackles in seven games this season. Expect LSU to reach into the transfer portal again to find another veteran defensive tackle.
It’s also a good thing LSU received the verbal commitment from Acadiana High defensive linemen Dominick McKinley. The five-star prospect committed to Texas A&M last September. The firing of Jimbo Fisher and his staff opened the door for LSU to get a verbal pledge from the state’s top prospect. McKinley announced just after midnight on New Year’s Day that he will sign with the Tigers on February 7th.
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McKinley is 6-foot-6, 285 pounds. He runs a 4.7, has a high football IQ and his coaches at Acadiana say he has a desire to be great.
McKinley’s commitment boosts LSU up to number 7 as far as top recruiting classes go according to on3.com.
While one five-star prospect enters the program, another one is leaving. Five-star offensive tackle Lance Heard played in 12 games as a freshman and started one game. With the possibility of LSU returning four starters on the offensive line, Heard was looking at a back-up role in 2024.
Expect Heard to land a nice NIL deal and the former Neville star will likely announce his new school in the coming days.
It’s the second straight year LSU has lost a big-time freshman to the transfer portal. Last year it was quarterback Walker Howard who decided to transfer to Ole Miss.
In both cases, Heard and Walker were not seeing the field anytime soon and in this transfer portal era they looked for a chance to play elsewhere.