SEC tackles leader TJ Dottery is third Ole Miss player to join Lane Kiffin at LSU

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This story has been updated with new information

OXFORD — Ole Miss football’s leading tackler is transferring to LSU.

Linebacker TJ Dottery is joining former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin at LSU, the program announced late on Jan. 16, the day after Dottery had entered the transfer portal.

It’s a major pickup for LSU at the Rebels’ expense. Dottery led the SEC with with 98 total tackles. He will be a redshirt senior at LSU. He started all 15 games for the Rebels in 2025. He also had 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

Dottery wore the green dot on his helmet for the past two seasons, which means, like the quarterback, he was the player on defense who could receive helmet-to-headset communication with Pete Golding.

The Rebels also lost linebacker Jaden Yates (55 tackles) in the transfer portal. Yates committed to Houston. Senior linebacker Suntarine Perkins, who was No. 2 in tackles for the Rebels with 81, is returning

After Dottery entered, Ole Miss added linebacker Tah’j Butler from Georgia Tech and edge rusher Blake Purchase from Oregon. Butler and Purchase will help shore up the defense, along with Baylor transfer linebacker Keaton Thomas.

Dottery is the third Rebel to join Kiffin by transferring to LSU. Freshman wide receiver Winston Watkins and offensive lineman Devin Harper are the others.

Ole Miss and LSU will playin 2026 on Sept. 19 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

The transfer portal is closed, but there will still be movement from players already in it or from schools that processed entries on the final couple days.

Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: TJ Dottery: LSU, Lane Kiffin add Ole Miss LB, SEC’s leading tackler

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