LSU Hosting Portal Targets After Losing Another; Walker Howard Is ULL Bound

GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

As LSU prepares to host several NCAA Transfer Portal targets throughout this week and beyond, it can certainly point to openings.

The Tigers on Tuesday lost their 13th player in the 10 days since their regular season ended – sophomore tight end Ka’Moerreun Pimpton of Fort Worth, Texas. Pimpton (6-foot-6, 242 pounds) caught only six passes for 79 yards, but he would have been a contender for LSU’s starting tight end spot in 2025. Junior star tight end Mason Taylor said last week that he will be leaving LSU a year early to enter the NFL Draft next spring.

LSU EXPORTS LEAD IMPORTS SO FAR

Pimpton signed with LSU in the 2023 class as the No. 6 tight end in the nation and No. 110 overall prospect out of North Crowley High in Fort Worth. He caught one pass in eight games as a true freshman in 2023. He leaves LSU with only two scholarship signees on the roster – true freshman Trey’Dez Green and Sulphur High freshman JD LaFleur (6-6, 245), the son of LSU tight end great David LaFleur.

Green (6-7, 226) caught seven passes for 48 yards and two touchdowns in the regular season, and is more of a receiver tight end.

Help is on the way, though. LSU will be hosting Arkansas sophomore tight end Luke Hasz (6-3, 241) this week and has been recruiting Northwest Missouri State sophomore tight end Zach Atkins (6-3, 240).

Hasz caught 26 passes for 324 yards and four touchdowns for Arkansas in the 2024 regular season. He caught 16 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns in just five games in 2023 before suffering a broken collarbone and missing the rest of the season. Atkins caught 18 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns in nine games in 2024. He had 12 catches for 181 yards and a TD in 2023.

Other LSU targets expected to visit this week are Purdue sophomore defensive end Will Heldt (6-6, 265), and Jacksonville State redshirt freshman safety Zechariah Poyser (6-2, 190).

LSU is also interested in Nebraska junior defensive end Jimari Butler (6-5, 260).

WALKER HOWARD TRANSFERS TO LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE

In other portal news, former LSU quarterback Walker Howard entered the portal and will be transferring to Louisiana-Lafayette after two seasons at Ole Miss as a reserve quarterback.

Howard signed with LSU as a five-star prospect out of St. Thomas More High in Lafayette in the class of 2022. He transferred to Ole Miss in January of 2023 after playing in two games the previous season. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.