Brian Kelly’s Unsung Savior Who Battled LSU Powers For Him Finally Earns Payoff

LSU fans remember the last time they tasted natty. Five years ago, with a team so goated that it gets compared to the legendary Miami teams of the past. When the Tigers hired Brian Kelly, the expectations revolved around more silverware or at least a chance to get one. Sadly, he is yet to take the Tigers to a playoff spot, or a championship title. Last year, LSU wasn’t even close to make the final 12. Can 2025 be the year that Kelly breaks through the monotony and takes LSU to its much-awaited victories? He had help from a major player in LSU’s top ranks to help give this scenario a shot.

Brian Kelly has produced some great talents for the NFL in his LSU stint. The list includes Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers, Derek Stingley Jr., and Will Campbell. He has a shot at continuing that trend by adding Garrett Nussmeier to that list next year. However, even with the star QB taking the lead last season, Kelly finished 9-4, a clear dip from his previous records. Now, however, LSU is once again predicted to do better than its woeful performance last year. A major reason for that is the talent that LSU is currently harboring at this moment. Josh Pate revealed that AD Austin Thomas had a key role in making this possible for Kelly.

Host Buck Reising threw some shade on the change in Brian Kelly’s recruiting strategies. He said in a June 24 episode of his show, “His whole thing was, ‘Well I can’t recruit at the same level because of the academic standards,’” he said, of Kelly. Notre Dame has always prioritized academic efficiency along with football for its athletes. It was only after their run up to the 2024 National Championship game that the recruiting bumped up. At LSU, Reising said that the HC was able to “recruit whoever the hell [he wanted].” “He seems to have players all over the place,” he added.

Josh Pate disagreed with that idea and stressed the role of the LSU GM, Austin Thomas. “The talent profile of this year’s team, yeah, it’s good. But that’s only because Austin Thomas, the general manager down there, had to really get in some faces, and Austin’s not an overly confrontational guy. This year’s team would have been in trouble had he not snatched up a few shirt sleeves of their big money people and said, ‘Look I don’t really care if you do or don’t love the current regime, or the current AD, or the current head coach. We are going to be an 8 or 7-win team this year if we don’t fill these holes.’”

Pate revealed that it was upon Thomas’ insistence that LSU administration opened up the banks, and tapped into the resources to get good recruits into the team. In the winter portal itself, LSU lost 19 players. Thomas’ persistence helped Kelly put together an impressive transfer portal class. “They completely saved themselves in the portal to where now they look like an SEC championship contender. That’s not because they killed it in recruiting. That’s because they killed it in the portal,” Pate added. At one point during the spring transfer portal, LSU ranked as the No. 2 program, after Oregon.

Here’s a look at that brilliant unit, that stands to take LSU to better heights this year.

Brian Kelly’s key additions expected to make a difference for LSU

LSU’s transfer class is packed with talent. Garrett Nussmeier himself will have some stellar members in the receiving corps as his backup. Oklahoma’s Nic Anderson comes with a record of 10 TD catches. Equally exemplary is Kentucky’s Barion Brown, who has SEC experience. Their additions make up for the loss of CJ Daniels, which would’ve been a massive problem had the two not been roped in. They will look to share time with returning receiver Aaron Anderson, with whom Nussmeier shares a bond.

The defense, which is one of the best under Brian Kelly, also has some transfer stars. Chief among them will be Patrick Payton from Florida State, who won the ACC’s Freshman of the Year award in 2022. Then there’s Jack Pyburn, who racked up 60 tackles and only 4 for loss last year with Florida. CB Mansoor Delane and Ja’Keem Jackson can also come with some great stuff this year under Blake Baker.

LSU is one team in college football who are primed to make a major comeback in 2025. With a possible No.1-pick Garrett Nussmeier leading the show, Brian Kelly will star a team loaded with potential, even if much of it is not homegrown.