On November 21, Brian Kelly and Co. saw their hope for the future fall apart. That was when their 10-month devotee Bryce Underwood decommitted from the Tigers. After all, losing a standout QB who led his high school to two state championships in four seasons is a big blow. The Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year ultimately flipped to Michigan for a $12 million contract. And while the general expectation is that the Tigers would lose the recruiting momentum, new developments suggest that’s the opposite. 

Losing the nation’s No. 1 overall 2025 prospect didn’t discourage Brian Kelly’s transfer players. In fact, LSU topped the 2025 CFB transfer portal class as posted by ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum on his X on January 8. And it’s not just about the quantity but the quality that the Tigers hauled in. Posting a picture of ESPN’s Craig Haubert’s report of the top 10 teams, he wrote, “LSU leads an SEC-heavy list of Top Transfer Portal Classes heading into 2025.”

As far as field performance went, this season wasn’t remarkable for LSU. They finished 9-4, falling 4th in the SEC. The Bryce Underwood heartbreak made headlines. But the Tigers managed to haul in 14 transfers, with eight of them being 4-star players. They’re trailed by Texas Tech, Auburn, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Florida State, Nebraska, and Wisconsin in the top 10. 

Among the 4-star players are Florida State transfer EDGE Patrick Payton, Virginia Tech CB Mansoor Delane and IOL Braelin Moore, Florida EDGE Jack Pyburn and CB Ja’Keem Jackson, Oklahoma WR Nic Anderson, Northwestern IOL Josh Thompson, and Kentucky WR Barion Brown. But the transfer portal success isn’t the only pride of LSU. 

Brian Kelly is winning in recruitment

After falling short of the playoffs in 2024, Brian Kelly is determined to come back strong in 2025. In his third year, he’s 29-11 with LSU after rounding up the season with a 44-31 victory over Baylor in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl. The transfers are going to play a huge role in bringing about that epic comeback. But he’s also got more blue-chip weapons from the 2025 class. 

Despite losing their biggest asset, Bryce Underwood, LSU still put together a No. 8 recruiting class in 2025, per ESPN. Among the 23 commits are three five-star hauls—No. 1 RB Harlem Berry, No. 2 ATH DJ Pickett, and No. 3 OT Solomon Thomas. National recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna said of LSU, “What they’ve been able to do with the redistribution of wealth, I think, has been important.”

A solid preparation for 2025. Can this roster upgrade change the fortune of Brian Kelly and LSU in the next season?