LSU defensive lineman Sydir Mitchell plans to enter NCAA Transfer Portal

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LSU defensive lineman Sydir Mitchell plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, On3 has learned. The talented former star recruit is on the move once again after thinking the Tigers were going to be the program for him.

Mitchell left the program during the regular season, but he claimed it was not his decision to leave. Instead, it was former Tigers head coach Brian Kelly is the one who forced him out.

“I’m going to be real, I didn’t leave the team, bro,” Mitchell said via TikTok Live. ” … People come to disagreements but it wasn’t no hard feelings… It was his decision. It wasn’t nobody else’s decision. It was BK’s. He felt like the decision wasn’t fair for the team, even though it had nothing to do with the team. That’s how he felt.”

Alas, Mitchell came to Baton Rouge ahead of the 2025 season out of the NCAA transfer portal. He initially signed with the Texas Longhorns out of high school, playing in nine games and recording seven tackles plus 0.5 tackles for a loss. Only two seasons were spent in Austin before heading to another SEC school.

LSU hoped Mitchell could carve out a role in the defensive line rotation this year. After two games, he had yet to play a snap. Shortly after, Kelly confirmed Mitchell was no longer with LSU and cited the failure to meet “workplace standards.”

Then, the plan appeared to be for Mitchell to get back in the portal. He said as such on the same TikTok Live, just finishing out the fall semester before looking for a new spot. Now, that’s coming to fruition.

“I’m finna get in that portal,” Mitchell said. “I just got to finish up school. I’m just staying low key, finishing school, bro.”

More on Sydir Mitchell, NCAA Transfer Portal

Mitchell played high school football at Oradell (NJ) Bergen Catholic, where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 226 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

No matter where he ends up, multiple years of eligibility remain. Mitchell does not have the production but coaches certainly will be interested in defensive tackles of his size, who also possess a small amount of SEC experience. Apparently, Kelly was not one of them after two weeks in the regular season.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

— On3’s Griffin McVeigh contributed to this article.

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