Ole Miss players became eager to move on from the Lane Kiffin circus. But is a similar mood developing at LSU, too? The high-profile coach’s entry hasn’t gotten off to a good start, as the roster loses yet another name right after his arrival. The transfer portal made its presence felt in the very first week of Kiffin donning LSU colors.

The high-profile name hasn’t been enough to keep players from entering the portal. WR Jelani Watkins will be doing so after being at Baton Rouge for 2 years. He will leave having caught only twice for 21 yards as an LSU WR, preferring a fresh start over the Lane Kiffin rebuild.

Watkins was a 4-star prospect for the Tigers, with some high speed in him. His recruitment came down to LSU and Texas A&M, where he eventually committed to the Tigers. He came to LSU as a dual-sport athlete and was part of the Tigers’ track team as well. Watkins was named SEC Freshman of the Week this year in his second track meet. He clocked a brilliant 10.01 in the 100-meter category in his first meet. Even Garrett Nussmeier took note of the WR’s talent, extending some appreciation on social media. But Watkins hasn’t had as much success on the gridiron.

Being buried down the depth chart, Watkins couldn’t get a lot of playing time. The WR played in only 5 games in the past two years. His entire career stats were recorded in just one game (Southeastern Louisiana). He played in only 2 more games this season (Vanderbilt and Oklahoma). As a redshirt freshman, Watkins will have three years of eligibility remaining and wants to cash in on it.

The Lane Kiffin factor doesn’t seem to be enough for these players to continue at LSU. The program went into limbo after firing Brian Kelly and then pursuing the current HC. Kiffin’s fast-paced offense usually tends to involve a lot of players. Meanwhile, LSU football itself has become a major disappointment this season, losing the charm it had on players and recruits. Watkins follows another top-rated prospect to the transfer portal, who had also backed out right after Kiffin’s arrival.

LSU is slowly losing homegrown talent from the program

Jelani Watkins joins Kylan Billiot in the transfer portal. Billiot is also a 4-star prospect and was rated as the 4th-best Louisiana prospect during his recruitment. But the WR found almost no opportunity to play, unlike Watkins. Billiot played only one game with his teammates during his years at LSU. He is also a multi-sport athlete and has track and basketball experience from high school. Billiot scored more than 1000 points in basketball and has a record of running 100 meters in 10.27 seconds.

LSU is losing two native recruits in Billiot and Watkins, which should be an alarming development. CB Ashton Stamps, another local, will also enter the portal. The 2026 class lost Darryus McKinley to Ohio State during the peak of the Lane Kiffin-LSU rumors. After Brian Kelly was fired, the program surprisingly held on quite well until DeAnthony Lafayette decommitted from the program.

While Brian Kelly wasn’t exactly an overwhelming favorite, Lane Kiffin has yet to work his magic at LSU. Jelani Watkins and Kylan Billiot, however, seem not to be interested in becoming a part of this new experiment. The new HC will get easy access to some of the best talent in the country, but not all of them might be coming his way at the end. Will LSU’s $91 million gamble on Lane Kiffin pay off?

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