BATON ROUGE — LSU football welcomed new coach Lane Kiffin to the program following the end of the 2025 college football season.
Kiffin, who was being pursued by Florida and Florida State, ultimately decided to leave his previous head coaching position at Ole Miss to take the same role with the Tigers. He was officially hired Nov. 30 and announced Dec. 1.
As with any new coach, roster management is at the top of the list for Kiffin putting his first team in Baton Rouge. And the transfer portal will play a major role.
Kiffin has been known to be a portal savant during his time at Ole Miss. It’ll be fascinating to watch who and what he pulls off from the transfer portal this season.
The transfer portal officially opens Jan. 2.
Track the latest on LSU’s transfer portal news here.
LSU football transfer portal live tracker: Who’s in, out at LSU?
Sophomore offensive guard Coen Echols announced his intention to enter his name into the transfer portal Dec. 23. Echols started seven games this season at left guard amidst a slew of injuries along the offensive line that saw a ton of shuffling as the season progressed. The 6-4, 315-pounder was a four-star prospect out of high school.
Considering impact and projection, the expected departure of offensive lineman Carius Curne is the biggest loss for LSU to date. Multiple reports have said that Curne intends to put his name in the transfer portal once it opens Jan. 2. In his freshman season in Baton Rouge, Curne played both tackles positions and started five games. The big 6-5, 320-pounder played in a total of seven games in 2025 and showed plenty of promise, as coaches expected his development to skyrocket.
During his two seasons at LSU, Johnson played a number of positions from defensive back to quarterback and running back this season. The 6-foot, 210-pound Lafayette native was the primary backup at tailback in 2025. He finished the season with 38 carries, 151 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Ahmad Breaux to enter transfer portal
Breaux had a bit of a breakout season as a freshman in 2024 but depth along the defensive front was low. With a deeper unit in 2025, Breaux found himself waded down the depth charter — but garnered more playing time as his sophomore season progressed. The 6-3, 278-pound Ruston native played in 11 games this season, tallying 19 tackles including 2.5 tackles-for-loss.
Ashton Stamps to enter transfer portal
Stamps was once a starting cornerback at LSU. He started all 13 games in 2024 as he led the team in passed defended with 14. But after LSU added Mansoor Delane out of the portal last offseason, Stamps lost his starting role as P.J. Woodland won the other spot opposite of Delane. Stamps redshirted this season and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Jelani Watkins to enter transfer portal
Watkins is known more for his track prowess. The 5-10, 162-pound speedster was likely the fastest player on LSU’s roster the last two seasons but he could never crack the lineup. He played in three games in 2025 and had two catches for 21 yards.
Kylan Billiot to enter transfer portal
After two seasons in Baton Rouge where he played in one game but didn’t record any stats, Billiot will be entering the transfer portal. Billiot was a former four-star wide receiver recruit coming out of Terrebonne High School and participated in the All-America Bowl.
Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.
