College Football Powerhouse Lands 40 Players From Transfer Portal

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College Football Powerhouse Lands 40 Players From Transfer Portal

As is the case in the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) era of college football, several programs made sweeping roster moves throughout the 2026 transfer portal before it closed on Jan. 16 for entries.

While some teams dealt with heavy losses, such as a historic school losing 46 players, other programs found a way to use the portal reshape and improve their depth charts through an aggressive approach.

That’s the case of Lane Kiffin’s LSU Tigers, who completed one of the most ambitious roster rebuilds of the portal era. The Tigers signed 40 transfer players, finishing with the No. 2-ranked transfer portal class in the country, according to On3.

The Tigers’ haul marks the largest single-cycle portal class in program history, and ranks as the sixth-largest in the nation this year through Saturday.

The influx followed LSU’s decision to hire Kiffin as head coach in November. Kiffin already arrived in Baton Rouge with a reputation for aggressive roster construction through the portal — and with the self-assigned “Portal King” nickname — and immediately leaned into transfers to accelerate LSU’s turnaround.

The Tigers added veteran contributors across both sides of the ball, addressing multiple positional needs in one offseason, as they hope to bounce back from a 7-6 season and a Texas Bowl loss in 2025.

Among the top additions are quarterback Sam Leavitt (Arizona State Sun Devils), EDGE Princewill Umanmielen (Ole Miss Rebels) and offensive tackle Jordan Seaton (Colorado Buffaloes), who headline the class. All three were ranked No. 1 at their positions in the transfer portal and inside the top four overall and are expected to play immediate roles for the Tigers in 2026.

New LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at a news conference.© Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

According to LSU Wire’s Will Rosenblatt, LSU’s transfer class arrives having logged more than 9,000 snaps during the 2025 season at their previous schools.

Multiple signees arrived with starting backgrounds at the Power Four level and are expected to take starting roles from the get-go next season in Baton Rouge.

The scale of LSU’s portal haul, however, comes with the negative of placing an immense spotlight and immediate expectations on Kiffin in his first season.

With the roster overhaul in place, the Tigers enter 2026 positioned as a College Football Playoff contender, with high pressure to translate the record-setting investment into on-field results.

Related: Historic College Football Program Loses 46 Players to Transfer Portal

Related: Alabama QB Ty Simpson Reveals Why He Rejected $6.5 Million NIL Offers Before NFL Draft

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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