Lane Kiffin’s aggressive rebuild at LSU took another major step forward on Thursday with a double dose of good news on the defensive line. On3’s Hayes Fawcett broke that Lane Kiffin has recruited two quality players at defensive line in order to eradicate an issue that had been plaguing the Kelly-led LSU during the 2025 season.

Fawcett first announced that Auburn defensive lineman Malik Blocton was headed to Baton Rouge. He followed it by announcing that South Carolina edge rusher Jaylen Brown has also pledged to the Tigers. Kiffin’s reputation as a transfer portal maestro is already paying dividends in his first few months on the job. And with the portal window closing on January 16th, these Thursday commitments show the urgency with which LSU is operating to fix what was broken.​

Jaylen Brown might be the more intriguing of the two additions simply because of the gamble involved. The 6-foot-5, 270-pound edge rusher was a four-star recruit ranked 282nd nationally in the Class of 2024. He originally signed with Missouri, where he played five games as a freshman and recorded two tackles before transferring to South Carolina.

But Brown never actually played a snap for the Gamecocks in 2025 after suffering a knee injury during spring drills. It required surgery and wiped out his entire season. Now he’s following his position coach, Sterling Lucas, to LSU, which tells you everything about relationships mattering in the portal era. Brown still has three years of eligibility remaining. 

Malik Blocton brings more proven production to the table, which is what Kiffin needs on the interior. The Pike Road, Alabama, native played in all 12 of Auburn’s games in 2025. He started eight of them while racking up 18 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, half a sack, and a fumble recovery. As a true freshman in 2024, he added 16 tackles with four tackles for loss and a sack. It means he’s already accumulated 34 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss across two seasons. At 6-foot-3 and 291 pounds, Blocton profiles as a rotational interior piece who can eat blocks and disrupt running lanes. 

These two commitments bring LSU’s defensive line haul to three transfers. They join Clemson’s Stephiylan Green, who also committed earlier this month. That’s significant considering the Tigers lost three defensive linemen to the portal themselves during this cycle. LSU currently sits at 21st in On3’s Transfer Portal team rankings. Brown and Blocton won’t single-handedly fix everything. But they’re adding depth and competition to a room that badly needed both.

Kiffin’s offensive overhaul is just as aggressive

While Thursday’s defensive line double-header grabbed headlines, Lane Kiffin’s offensive rebuild at LSU has been just as relentless. It is arguably more crucial given how anemic the Tigers’ attack looked in 2025. 

Eugene “Tre” Wilson III’s commitment from Florida on Wednesday marked the fourth wide receiver to join LSU through the portal. He followed Jackson Harris from Hawaii, Tre Brown from Old Dominion, and Jayce Brown from Kansas State. Kiffin is gutting the entire room and starting over.  Wilson brings legitimate upside despite battling injuries at Florida.  He totaled 107 receptions for 1,043 yards and 10 touchdowns over three seasons in Gainesville. His breakout game against Georgia in 2025, with nine catches for 121 yards and a touchdown, showed his explosive playmaking that Kiffin’s offense demands.

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The Tigers have also addressed the running back and tight end positions, landing Utah transfer Raycine Guillory Jr. and Pitt’s Malachi Thomas to fill the holes. LSU’s running back room lost four players, including leading rusher Caden Durham, to the portal. It left the cupboard nearly bare before Kiffin started working his magic.