The Lane Kiffin era in Baton Rouge has officially begun as the Tigers are looking to their new head coach "The Transfer Portal King," to rebuild this roster. Brian Kelly's final team was made up of a ton of veteran players, leaving a ton of holes for Lane Kiffin to fill if the Tigers are going to compete for a chance to make the College Football Playoff and compete for an SEC Championship.
LSU fans who were waiting for the Transfer Portal to open likely thought the Tigers were going to be shopping at the top of the market. While the Tigers may go out and land some of the highest ranked transfers, Lane Kiffin earned his reputation based on his ability to find under the radar transfers and turn them into stars.
Lane Kiffin is already working his magic in the Transfer Portal
We're only a few days into the Transfer Portal being open, but Lane Kiffin has already racked up 3 commitments thus far. While LSU fans still await their big addition at quarterback and stars anywhere else, the Tigers additions all fit Lane Kiffin's typical billing.
LSU's first transfer addition of this cycle came with the Tigers landing Hawaii star Jackson Harris. This season, Harris racked up 49 catches for 963 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 19.7 yards per reception. Harris isn't one of the big names in the Transfer Portal, but he excels in the intermediate and deep passing game making him a perfect fit in Kiffin's offense.
On Monday, LSU landed a running back, and it wasn't Kewan Lacy or any of the other big names, but it was Utah's Raycine Guillory. This season, Guillory only carried the ball once for 4 yards, this season meaning Kiffin and his staff are likely excited about something that he hasn't put on tape.
Monday Night brought a second addition for Lane Kiffin and his staff as they reeled in Old Dominion wide receiver Tre' Brown III. Brown is the perfect example of a Lane Kiffin transfer, starting his career at JUCO before jumping to Old Dominion, where he caught 38 passes for 762 yards and 4 touchdowns, averaging 20.1 yards per reception. Kiffin's taking a chance on a big play threat in Brown, who can help stretch the field for this offense.
Tre Brown III ranks as the 14th best wide receiver in the Saturday Blitz Transfer Portal WR Rankings.
The Tigers will likely end up making splash additions eventually, whether it's with a quarterback like Sam Leavitt or an edge rusher in Chaz Coleman. While LSU isn't adding big-name playmakers, the fanbase should be thrilled as he's clearly following the formula that's worked for him time and time again.