Recruiting pitch for all you “we haven’t gotten enough portal” people ….

It goes both ways
LSU still has some holes on the roster
Ideally you want your best players to still be high school recruits and players you develop
The problem with portal is most of the time there is a reason players hit portal and the makeup of portal can burn you

5 of the last 7 Heisman winners were portal transfers. Every team should reach into the portal each year and pick up 3-5 players that could potentially help your team. Each team will likely lose, on average, 5 players to the portal, so all you’re doing is replacing what you’ve lost.

It’s a two way street.


True, you need to develop from recruiting HS seniors.

True, you need to keep them.

But some will leave. We have over 20 defensive backs. Some will not be happy that they are behind the others. They will transfer out. Maybe to ULL, but maybe to Alabama or ole miss.

Those 20 or so DBs take up room on the 85.

The shallow five or so DTs need to be backed up by two or three more.

You cannot rob Peter to pay Paul on an 85 limit.

Roster management also has PAR LEVELS for each position. When you are heavy on one position, it takes away from the other.

Back to DTs.
Add two or three.
Go for the best…..even if they start over your guys you recruited years ago. You want to win today vs mortgaging your future so “your” guy can one day start.

You win today. Go for the best players in the portal.


I still have faith that Kelly knows what he’s doing on the DT front.

I think Kelly wants to see what they have on the roster and what the new staff can develop through spring before throwing stupid money at every shiny object on the portal board. There'll be plenty of guys who leave schools bc they don't mesh with new staffs or just want to perhaps come home for whatever reason. I think BK is just being smart with the bag money and letting everyone else toss cash at guys who may have talent but also have bad attitudes to match. He has said repeatedly he wants to develop from within the state, and the lack of his throwing other people's money at every star rating on a list is just proof of concept. Would I have liked to have seen Ricks or Amos come into the team? Of course, if they aligned! However, I also see the validity of what he hopes to build over the next few years and if they interviewed these guys and all they did was hold out a gimme-palm, it's best for the guys currently on roster to realize their coaches believe in their talent, perseverance and work ethic over just whoever they can pay to be there.

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We are looking to develop athletes and have developed some great ones. The teams getting lots in the portal are not developing their players well enough so they need other players that other teams have developed already

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All you are really doing is trying to justify why LSU has lost out in the portal some.

Ideally, yes you want to recruit great out of high school, and build and develop your roster that way. We know this is BKs ultimate goal as well.

However, the fact of the matter is, the portal will almost always be a key piece now. With a free for all with transfers, we are going to lose at a minimum, key depth every year. We will have to fill that depth through the portal sometimes. That's just the way it is. Adapt or get your arse kicked.

Not sure we are going to get them but we need a couple 'tough guy' defensive leaders.

Right now, the team looks up to Burns.

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The teams getting lots in the portal are not developing their players well enough so they need other players that other teams have developed already.

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I'm fine with Kelly letting the guys on the roster compete during the spring and then fill any glaring holes with the Spring portal window.