Now you’re competing with the big dogs
About a month ago, I wrote that the LSU football program was “crumbling” after Bryce Underwood flipped his 300-day long commitment from LSU to Michigan.
A few days after that, Brian Kelly said during his presser leading up to the Oklahoma game that LSU will be “very aggressive” in the transfer portal; after signing day, Kelly said that his program needed more from donors and boosters.
“It’s no longer just about your brand,” Kelly said. “The brand has to be backed up with dollars. If you want to be able to close some of these, you have to have active participation from your donor base. It can’t just be one or two guys.”
Since the transfer portal opened on December 9, LSU’s NIL efforts have answered the call beautifully and the Tigers have reportedly added two more players to its class. Enter former Virginia Tech center Braelin Moore and former Florida State defensive end Patrick Payton.
Moore is viewed as the No. 1 interior offensive linemen available in the portal. He has started at center in each of the past two seasons for the Hokies and ought to inherit the starting job when he makes it to Baton Rouge. The addition of Moore likely moves DJ Chester to one of the two guard spots, which is where he was recruited coming out of high school. Adding Moore and kicking Chester inside is for the best: Chester was clearly the weak point of the LSU offensive line this season, and now he’ll get a chance to play his natural position in 2025.
When it was announced that Nic Anderson would be transferring to LSU I said that he is, at this moment, LSU’s highest ranked transfer portal addition. That distinction now goes to Patrick Payton. Payton is the No. 2 overall player in the portal and highest ranked defensive player.
Payton was the ACC’s Rookie of the Year in 2022 and over the past three seasons he’s recorded 80 pressures, 31.5 tackles for loss, 16 sacks and 13 pass breakups. He’s your Bradyn Swinson replacement and a real difference maker for LSU in 2025.
Moore and Paytong give LSU a total of 11 transfer additions so far, and the Tigers don’t appear to be done yet. Kelly originally said LSU was looking to add about 10 transfers, but in a press conference today he said that number is now looking to be around 15.
You might have complicated feelings about the NIL/transfer portal era that we’re living in, but LSU is finally playing the game that the heavy hitters are in. Like it or not, the portal is essentially free agency and LSU’s turned into a spender the past few weeks. Brian Kelly said it himself in his presser leading up to Oklahoma: LSU played “under the cap” this season. Well if you want to spend like the Rays and A’s that’s fine, just don’t be mad when you’re spending New Year’s at the Texas and Gator Bowl; but if you want to be in the College Football Playoff you’ll need to start spending like the Yankees and Dodgers.
LSU’s putting their money where their mouth is. Now we’ll have to see if it’s money well spent.