We are in Portal Season so I wanted to go back and revisit last years LSU transfers

As we sit here watching fans and posters—many of whom struggle to act like rational adults—melting down about LSU losing players to the transfer portal, I thought it might be useful to revisit how things went for players who left last season. Spoiler: it’s rarely as bad as people make it seem.

Here’s a breakdown of last year’s departures and their performance at their new schools:

Defensive Players
• Jeremiah Hughes (Mich. St.): 4 tackles in 2 games (backup).
• Ryan Yaites (Cal): 12 tackles in 5 games (backup).
• Jaxon Howard (Minnesota): 8 tackles in 5 games (backup).
• Bryce Langston (Florida Atlantic): 8 tackles in 5 games (backup).
• Fitzgerald West (Louisiana): 7 tackles in 6 games (backup).
• Denver Harris (UTSA): 13 tackles in 9 games (backup).
• Tygee Hill (Oregon State): 2 tackles in 2 games (backup).
• LT Welch (Arizona State): 13 tackles, 1 INT (pick-six) in 9 games.

Offensive Players
• Conner Gilbreathe (Boise State): Transitioned from TE to OT; played in 2 games as a backup.
• Joe Cryer (Southern Miss): No stats, DNP. Once again in portal
• Khai Prean (Tulane): Played in 1 game (vs. SELA); no stats.
• Logan Diggs (Ole Miss): Sat out most of the year with a knee injury; has yet to play.
• Tre Bradford (Grambling): 20 carries, 78 yards.
• Armani Goodwin (UAB): 14 carries, 88 yards.
• Jackson McGohan (Wisconsin): Played in 3 games, 1 catch for 3 yards.

Notable Cases
• Lance Heard (Tennessee): Starter. PFF grades consistently ranked near the bottom of the team regardless of position. (Anyone with a PFF account, feel free to add more detail)
• Jalen Brown (Florida State): 5-star recruit. 8 catches for 75 yards in 5 games. No TDs.
• Quincy Wiggins (Colorado): 10 games, 1 tackle. Underwhelming for a former 5-star recruit.
• Duce Chestnut (Syracuse): Returned to Syracuse and had a great season—56 tackles, 1 INT in 12 games. Probably should’ve stayed there to begin with.

Takeaways
Out of all the players who left, very few made a significant impact at their new schools. The portal isn’t always the golden ticket it’s made out to be. Sometimes players just need time, development, or the right fit.

So, maybe we all take a deep breath before panicking about the latest portal moves.


ETA: was asked to add the incoming transfers as well…


Offensive Players
• CJ Daniels (Liberty): 42 catches for 480 yards, 0 TDs. Solid volume but no scores.
• AJ Swann (Vanderbilt): Played in 2 games, went 2/4 for 10 yards.

Special Teams
• Blake Ochsendorf (Louisiana Tech): Played in 9 games with 12 punts for a 40.2-yard average. Split time with Peyton Todd.
• Zavion Thomas:
• Receiving: 20 catches for 188 yards.
• Punt Returns: 13 returns for 49 yards (3.8 avg).
• Kick Returns: 20 returns for 478 yards (23.9 avg).

Defensive Players
• Jay’viar Suggs (Grand Valley State): Played in 12 games, recorded 10 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
• Gio Paez (Wisconsin): Played in 12 games, registered 19 tackles and 1 sack.
• Jyaire Brown (Ohio State): Played in 3 games, 3 tackles.
• Austin Ausberry (Auburn): Limited depth role, 1 tackle.
• Jardin Gilbert (Texas A&M): Played in 12 games, racked up 48 tackles and 1 INT.