Brian Kelly’s tenure with the LSU Tigers has been quite disappointing in the eyes of many college football fans.
Kelly is currently coaching in his third season with the Tigers after spending some time with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In his first two seasons, 2022 and 2023, LSU had back-to-back years with double-digit wins.
But, in 2024, the Tigers took a step back. They finished the regular season with an 8-4 record and a 5-3 mark in SEC play.
Despite all of the struggles, the Tigers continue to have success on the recruiting trail.
On Sunday, Florida State transfer EDGE Patrick Payton committed to the Tigers after four years with the Seminoles.
Payton redshirted his freshman season with the Seminoles in 2021 and went on to carve out a major role for Mike Norvell and Florida State the following season.
In his first full year as a contributor for the Seminoles in 2022, Payton produced one forced fumble, three pass deflections, five sacks and 31 tackles.
During the 2024 college football season, Payton recorded four sacks and 35 tackles.
Payton committed to the Seminoles out of the 2021 recruiting class. He was listed as a four-star prospect, ranked as the No. 38 linebacker and No. 329 overall player in the nation, per 247Sports Composite rankings.
Out of high school, the 6-foot-5 defensive star was also offered by powerhouse programs including Georgia, Nebraska and Penn State.