If there was one glaring hole on LSU’s roster heading into the heart of the offseason, it was the backend of the defense.
Now, with the commitment of former Houston safety A.J. Haulcy, it feels like Brian Kelly may have landed the exact piece he needed—not just for the roster, but for his own job security.
Let’s be real here. Kelly’s first couple of seasons in Baton Rouge have been a rollercoaster, filled with high expectations and some pretty harsh criticism when things didn’t go right. And while he's pulled in solid recruiting classes and navigated the SEC relatively well, there were still questions coming into this season.
he has recruited well in the transfer portal, though, adding several key pieces to develop around Garrett Nussmeier. One of the big questions heading into the offseason, though, was the secondary.
With 259 tackles, seven picks, and 15 pass deflections over three seasons between New Mexico and Houston, Haulcy isn't just experienced—he's a game-changer. This past season alone, he had five interceptions and still managed over 70 tackles while quarterbacks actively avoided throwing his way. He was First-Team All-Big 12 and was arguably the top defensive back available in the spring portal window.
Brian Kelly has set LSU up to be legit contenders in the SEC
The season opens with a bang: a non-conference showdown at Clemson. That’s going to be a top-10 matchup, no question. It's the kind of game that can set the tone for the entire season. Win it, and LSU jumps into the top portion of the rankings. Lose, and the margin for error tightens some, but not a lot, at least not until SEC play begins.
The Tigers will play Florida, Ole Miss (on the road), South Carolina, Texas A&M, and have road trips to both Alabama and Oklahoma.
Now, what’s the ceiling here? If everything breaks right—if the offense clicks, if the defense holds up, if the Tigers steal a couple road wins—then 10-2 is very much on the table. That would almost certainly put them in the SEC title mix, and maybe even in the national championship conversation.
But it’s not all sunshine. The floor for this team is probably still around 7-5 or 8-4. That’s assuming they drop a few of the tougher matchups and maybe get caught in a trap game. And let’s be honest: if that happens, the whispers about Kelly’s future will get a lot louder.
That’s why landing Haulcy is such a big deal. It’s more than just adding talent. It’s about giving this team—and this coaching staff—a fighting chance in one of the tougher schedules in the country.
And make no mistake, the pressure is on in Baton Rouge. Brian Kelly knows it. The fans know it. But with this move, LSU might’ve just flipped the script heading into 2025.