The program saw double-digit departures during the 2023 season with the 2024 offseason providing even more roster turnover.
Kelly and Co. had 19 departures during the winter portal window with a wide variety of players heading elsewhere.
From starting caliber players to youngsters unable to crack the rotation, LSU has had multiple players depart Baton Rouge.
Now, a pair of former Tigers have found new homes after entering the Transfer Portal.
Pair of Former LSU Cornerbacks Find New Homes:
The 2024 Departure: Bernard Causey
One of the players to leave LSU this offseason was true freshman cornerback Bernard Causey after one season in Baton Rouge.
Causey spent the season on the program’s scout team and did not record a snap in-game during the 2024 season.
He was a member of the 2024 Signing Class after joining the program as the No. 9 rated player in Louisiana out of high school.
Now, after one year in the purple and gold, Causey has revealed his transfer destination for the 2025 season: Georgia State.
Causey will head to the Sun Belt for his redshirt-freshman campaign after signing the necessary paperwork to join the program for the spring semester.
The 2023 Departure: Ryan Robinson
Louisiana native Ryan Robinson Jr. joined the LSU Tigers for the 2023 season after signing with the program as a preferred walk-on.
The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder passed on scholarship offers from schools such as Nebraska, Florida State, Auburn, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Oregon and more to take a walk-on opportunity with the Tigers in the 2023 Recruiting Cycle.
“Everywhere I’ve been, the walk-on program has been instrumental to our success,” Kelly said last spring. “So, when we talk about instrumental, it’s not only in terms of the ability to add depth, but scholarships, too. I believe that walk-ons should have a chance to earn a scholarship.”
Robinson Jr. bypassed scholarship offers to walk-on at LSU showcased the culture this program is building and will continue to build under Kelly.
But after one season, he entered the NCAA Transfer Portal and took his talents to Iowa State for the 2024 season. He redshirted with LSU in 2023.
Now, he’ll make the third stop of his college career. After one-year runs at LSU and Iowa State, Robinson will head to McNeese State for the 2025 season.
The Offseason Moves:
The 2024 Departures (19):
– Rickie Collins: Quarterback (Syracuse)
– Landon Ibieta: Wide Receiver
– CJ Daniels: Wide Receiver (Miami)
– Dashawn Womack: EDGE (Ole Miss)
– Jordan Allen: Safety (Houston)
– Shelton Sampson: Wide Receiver (Louisiana-Lafayette)
– Kylin Jackson: Defensive Back (TCU)
– Xavier Atkins: Linebacker (Auburn)
– Jyaire Brown: Cornerback (UCF)
– Bernard Causey: Cornerback (Georgia State)
– Nathan Dibert: Kicker (Eastern Michigan)
– De’Myrion Johnson: Defensive Tackle
– JK Johnson: Cornerback (Oklahoma State)
– Ka’Morreun Pimpton: Tight End (TCU)
– Jay’viar Suggs: Defensive Tackle (Wisconsin)
– Sage Ryan: Defensive Back (Ole Miss)
– AJ Swann: Quarterback (App State)
– Kimo Makane’ole: Defensive Lineman (West Virginia)
– Jalen Lee: Defensive Lineman
LSU has added several young pieces to build a foundation during Kelly’s first three seasons with the prrogram, but now the staff has taken an aggressive approach through the portal to bring in proven players.
“We have a strong young nucleus in our program, but now it’s time to add to that,” Kelly said on Saturday. “Those that have moved on, we wish them the best, and now we feel like we’ve put ourselves in a position where we can put together an SEC Championship roster.”
Who have the Tigers gained commitments from?
The Additions on Offense (8):
– TE Bauer Sharp: Oklahoma
– WR Barion Brown: Kentucky
– QB Michael Van Buren: Mississippi State
– WR Destyn Hill: Florida State
– WR Nic Anderson: Oklahoma
– OL Braelin Moore: Virginia Tech
– OL Josh Thompson: Northwestern
– TE Donovan Green: Texas A&M
The Additions on Defense (6):
– CB Ja’Keem Jackson: Florida
– EDGE Jimari Butler: Nebraska
– EDGE Jack Pyburn: Florida
– CB Mansoor Delane: Virginia Tech
– DL Sydir Mitchell: Texas
– EDGE Patrick Payton: Florida State
The Special Teams Additions (1):
Punter Grant Chadwick: Middle Tennessee