LSU Lands 5th Top 100 Portal Player After Just 2 Last Year, And It’s Still Early

GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

LSU and football coach Brian Kelly have landed seven starters from the NCAA Transfer Portal in just the last four days, but that is not the most significant number.

Five is, as in five players ranked in the top 100 prospects in the portal, according to 247Sports.com’s rankings. And the portal window that opened on Dec. 9 and runs through Dec. 28 is only in its first week.

Last year, LSU netted only two transfers all off-season in the top 100 overall ranking by 247Sports.com – No. 27 overall player and No. 2 safety Jardin Gilbert of Texas A&M and No. 45 player and No. 7 wide receiver CJ Daniels of Liberty. The next highest ranked transfer LSU got was No. 128 player and No. 25 wide receiver Zavion Thomas of Mississippi State.

So far this year, Kelly has the No. 18-ranked player in the portal in No. 8 wide receiver Barion Brown of Kentucky, the No. 36 player in No. 2 cornerback Mansoor Delane of Virginia Tech, the No. 43 player in No. 6 edge rusher Jake Pyburn of Florida, the No. 71 player in No. 8 cornerback Ja’Keem Jackson of Florida and the No. 92 player in No. 13 quarterback Michael Van Buren of Mississippi State.

LSU ADDS 2ND EDGE RUSHER, BUT HAROLD PERKINS STILL BEST AT THAT ON CAMPUS

Delane (6-foot-1, 187 pounds) is the latest player to commit to LSU. He did so Monday afternoon.

BREAKING: Transfer portal cornerback Mansoor Delane of Virginia Tech commits to LSU https://t.co/mneCSDz3QA via @ScarboroughMike

— Mike Scarborough (@ScarboroughMike) December 16, 2024

Delane started 12 games in the 2024 regular season for the Hokies, making 54 tackles with two forced fumbles, 11 passes defended and four interceptions. He started 13 games in 2023, also making 54 tackles with an interception. A three-star prospect in 2022 from Spalding High in Silver Spring, Maryland, Delane signed with Virginia Tech as the No. 55 cornerback in the nation. He started four games as a true freshman that year and had nine passes defended, two forced fumbles and an interception.

BRIAN KELLY PLAYING SANTA CLAUS

LSU’s next portal addition could be No. 9 prospect Nic Anderson (6-4, 216) of Oklahoma. The No. 4 wide receiver in the portal caught 31 passes for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman in 2023. He missed virtually all of the 2024 season with an upper quad injury and entered the portal this month. Just a three-star prospect at Katy High In Katy, Texas, Anderson was the No. 61 prep wide receiver in the nation in 2022 and No. 56 prospect in Texas.

Other LSU portal additions so far since Friday are No. 125 player and No. 14 edge rusher Jimari Butler of Nebraska and No. 128 player and No. 8 tight end Bauer Sharp of Oklahoma.