LSU football DL becomes eleventh player to enter transfer portal
LSU football is set to lose its eleventh player to the transfer portal. Head coach Brian Kelly’s seat is warming up amid a disappointing third season in Baton Rouge. The Tigers entered the year expected to contend for a College Football Playoff spot. As the regular season closes, LSU football is 8-4 and currently unranked. The consequences of this year have been damaging to this program in terms of recruiting and the transfer portal. The Tigers just got hit with another blow in the form of De’Myrion Johnson
According to National College Football Reporter for CBS Sports Matt Zenitz, the freshman defensive tackle will also enter the portal immediately. The latest news highlights a program in desperate need of some momentum.
LSU football has had a brutal year on and off the field
Brian Kelly’s comments about NIL came out during a tough few days of recruiting for LSU football. The Tigers lost a few 5-star prospects via decommitment, including quarterback Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 prospect for the class of 2025. The news has not gotten any better as Brian Kelly’s team keeps losing current players to the transfer portal. Johnson added to the current tally of eleven departures. The freshman out of New Iberia, Louisiana, did not record any stats this season but was a 4-star recruit out of high school.
The loss of Johnson is a blow to a program struggling for a defensive identity under Kelly. This problem is very odd considering the Tigers’ head coach’s recent past. Brian Kelly consistently fielded physical, defensive-minded teams during his time with Notre Dame. In fact, the only Heisman Trophy contender Kelly sent to New York was Manti Te’o, a linebacker. However, LSU football has consistently struggled in defense these past three years.
The Tigers’ scoring defense was among the bottom four in the SEC in 2023 and 2024. The unit has been dismantled in several huge matchups, such as LSU football’s embarrassing home loss to Alabama. An inability to stop the run aligns perfectly with these struggles, showing that the Tigers lack a physical presence on the interior. Losing players like De’Myrion Johnson doesn’t get this program any closer to solving these deep-rooted issues.
