It might be too late to discuss the 2025 transfer portal findings. But then again, what better time to introspect whether the gambles teams took paid off or not, now that Week 4 is over? According to Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers made the most out of their NIL to pick up the best of the lot. And some of the credit definitely goes to Kelly himself. He and his wife, Paqui, pledged to match up to $1M for LSU’s NIL collective through the Tiger Athletic Foundation’s Excellence Fund. And how far did they go on the transfer portal?

Kelly revealed the Tigers spent about $18 million on their 2025 roster under new NIL rules. The result? They have locked in 18 transfers this transfer season. Amidst the dozen newcomers, three of them stood out in Kiffin’s eyes.

On September 22, Wilson Alexander wrote on X, “Lane Kiffin said LSU’s three starting transfer defensive backs — Mansoor Delane, Tamarcus Cooley and AJ Haulcy — were “probably the three most expensive portal DBs in the market.” “And they got them all. They did a great job with that, and now they’re coaching them really well.”” Back in December 2024, Virginia Tech’s star cornerback, Mansoor Delane, chose to jump into the transfer portal. Kelly had his eyes on him as he carried some strong stats in his three seasons at Virginia Tech.

He totaled 16 passes defended, six interceptions, four forced fumbles, and 146 tackles. Along with a couple of power programs like Georgia, Miami, and others, Kiffin, too, was running the race to land Delane. But neither of their luck favored, and Kelly was the one who wooed the cornerback’s heart. How are the efforts paying off? As the first month of the 2025 season wrapped up, PFF has its list of top five SEC cornerbacks, and Kelly’s cornerback, Delane, made the cut, taking the No.1 rank. Delane smothered Clemson in Week 1, giving up only one rub-route catch on eight targets. Against Florida? Just 2 grabs for 11 yards on 6 tries.

The next big haul for Kelly was Tamarcus Cooley. This year, in January, the Tigers had signed the former NC State safety. But what made Kelly pursue him?Cooley actually fills a major need for LSU, as they have been inconsistent at the safety position last season after Major Burns graduated and Sage Ryan transferred to Ole Miss. Kelly also endured big losses with Jordan Allen and Kylin Jackson hitting the portal. During the Tigers’ Week 3 win against Florida, Cooley stood out, finishing the game with eight tackles and an interception. That interception got them off the field late in the fourth quarter to maintain their 20-10 lead.

Houston transfer safety AJ Haulcy committed to LSU after entering the transfer portal this spring. According to PFF, Haulcy has posted an 81.0 coverage grade, ranking No. 4 among SEC safeties. Against Florida, Kelly’s safety nagged a pick, held a 56.4 passer rating when targeted, with 7 stops and 2 QB pressures. 

Brian Kelly gets stuck in the middle of recruiting wins and program struggles

LSU is home to a triple threat. That’s none other than Ju’Juan Johnson. Known as Mr Versatility, the 4-star recruit docked his wagon at LSU in May 2023. Having an eye for talent, Kelly could see Johnson’s potential and flipped him out of Colorado.

The Lafayette Christian Academy standout excelled as a quarterback in high school. Kelly, however, signed him as a defensive back. Cut to 2024, the head coach tried Johnson for the running back position. While it might be too much for him to handle, Johnson considers it to be a “blessing” to learn different things.

“Oh, of course. At quarterback, you’ve got to really learn what everyone is doing on the field. Like you just can’t learn what you’re doing,” replied Johnson. “So, going from quarterback to running back, I kind of knew already like what the offense was, what it was.” Now, will his recruiting wins make Kelly’s seat less hot?Brian Kelly’s future may hinge on his portal pickups. But only a national championship can satisfy LSU fans.