LSU Football Hosting 3 Players As It Puts Finishing Touches On Early Portal Class

GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

Why stop now, just because you’re No. 1?

LSU football coach Brian Kelly still has the No. 1 ranked transfer portal class in the country, according to 247sports.com. But he is not resting on his laurels with 14 additions.

Kelly and his staff have been hosting Auburn junior cornerback/kick returner Keionte Scott since Monday. His visit was expected to end Tuesday. Scott (6-foot-2, 192) entered the portal after the 2024 regular season with Auburn. He started only four games last season, partly because of an ankle injury and partly because freshman Jay Crawford beat him out.

Scott is also a returner and led the SEC in punt return average in 2023 with a 14.8-yard average. He started 10 games in 2023 and nine in 2022. A junior college transfer from Snow College, Scott is gaining an extra year of eligibility for 2025 because of recent NCAA rulings that allow that for JUCO transfers. He was the No. 1 cornerback in the nation in 2022 among JUCO players. Scott went to Helix High in La Mesa, California.

Redshirt freshman starting safety Tamarcus Cooley of North Carolina State is expected to visit LSU on Thursday. Cooley (5-11, 205 pounds) made 39 tackles with three interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery last season. He played his true freshman season in 2023 as a deep reserve at Maryland, where he signed as a three-star prospect out of Rolesville, North Carolina.

The Tigers are expecting blocking tight end Donovan Green (6-4, 265) of Texas A&M this weekend. The third-year sophomore had 22 catches for 222 yards in three seasons with the Aggies.

SEC FOOTBALL HAD AN OFF YEAR IN2024

LSU may be interested in Alabama starting junior right tackle Elijah Pritchett (6-6, 312 pounds), who just entered the portal as the five-day window was closing on Sunday for players in postseason games. Alabama lost to 7-5 Michigan, 19-13, last week at the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa to finish 9-4 – the Tide’s worst record since Nick Saban went 7-6 in his first season in 2007.

Pritchett will be visiting Nebraska and has not yet shown interest in LSU. He was a backup in 2023 and ’22 after signing as a four-star prospect with Saban in 2022 from Columbus, Georgia.

The next portal window will run from April 16-25.

LSU TRANSFER PORTAL ADDITIONS (14) BY RANK WITH FORMER SCHOOL

-No. 2 Overall and No. 1 Edge Patrick Payton, Florida State.

-No. 10 Overall and No. 5 WR Nic Anderson, Oklahoma.

-No. 18 Overall and No. 8 WR-RET Barion Brown, Kentucky.

-No. 36 Overall and No. 2 CB Mansoor Delane, Virginia Tech.

-No. 43 Overall and No. 6 DE Jake Pyburn, Florida.

-No. 53 Overall and No. 4 Interior OL Braelin Moore, Virginia Tech.

-No. 66 Overall and No. 6 Interior OL Josh Thompson, Northwestern.

-No. 71 Overall and No. 8 CB Ja’Keem Jackson, Florida.

-No. 92 Overall and No. 13 QB Michael Van Buren, Mississippi State.

-No. 125 Overall and No. 14 DE Jimari Butler, Nebraska.

-No. 128 Overall and No. 8 TE Bauer Sharp, Oklahoma.

-No. 307 Overall and No. 25 DT Sydir Mitchell, Texas.

-Unranked WR Destyn Hill, Florida State.

-Unranked P Grant Chadwick, Middle Tennessee State.