Where every LSU football player in the transfer portal landed
With Brian Kelly in and Ed Orgeron 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 Deion Smith 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 Eli Ricks.
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.
Josh White - Baylor
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
With how crowded the linebacker room is, it seemed like someone had to transfer. It ended up being [autotag]Josh White[/autotag], the talented linebacker from Texas.
White opted to go to Baylor, returning to his home state to play for Dave Aranda, the coach who recruited him to LSU.
Dwight McGlothern - Arkansas
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McGlothern was supposed to be a headliner of the secondary heading into 2022 but transferred amid the coaching transition.
It’s a loss that hurts LSU, but sometimes players and programs are just meant to go their separate ways.
DeVonta Lee - Louisiana Tech
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Smith came to LSU as the 10th best recruit in the state and eighth-best athlete in the country, but he never really caught on.
At Louisiana Tech, he could be one of the most talented players in the conference and carve out a big-time role.
Trey Palmer - Nebraska
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Palmer showed flashes at LSU and he’s a player who can play at a high level. The receiver room is crowded, and he never got a bunch of reps even as he became an upperclassman.
He’ll follow receivers coach [autotag]Mickey Joseph[/autotag] to Nebraska, where he has the chance to be a difference-maker.
Max Johnson - Teas A&M
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Johnson’s tenure as LSU’s quarterback was a polarizing one. He did some good things and got some big wins, but with all that was going on inside the program the last couple of years, it was always going to be tough for a young quarterback to succeed.
Johnson might not be the most talented, but when protected, he showed some solid decision-making. At Texas A&M, Johnson may get the chance to start against LSU in November.
Landon Jackson - Arkansas
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Jackson, a talented edge rusher, never saw many opportunities at LSU.
He’ll now stay in the division as he heads north with McGlothern. It’s hard to know what LSU lost in Jackson at this point but time will tell.
Eli Ricks - Alabama
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This one hurt the most. Ricks has been one of the best players in the SEC since he stepped on campus and LSU needs cornerbacks.
Ricks almost left after 2020 until Orgeron convinced him to stay. After Orgeron and LSU separated, Ricks looked elsewhere and ended up at Alabama.
Ricks will return to Baton Rouge as a member of the Crimson Tide this fall.
Alex Adams - Akron
AP Photo/Matthew Hinton
Again, the receiver room at LSU is stacked and it just didn’t seem like Adams was going to get many chances.
He’ll now play for Akron, led by former Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead. Adams was committed to MSU when Moorhead was in Starkville but ended up in Baton Rouge when he was fired.
Deion Smith
AP Photo/Derick Hingle
As noted in the intro, Smith has yet to commit to a new school. He’s one of the most talented players in the portal and made some big plays for LSU in 2021 despite dealing with injuries.
This is another one that seems to be a result of the coaching change, but LSU will be fine at wide receiver.
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