Will Rod Gainey Jr. impact LSU football? How transfer portal RB fits
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BATON ROUGE — Lane Kiffin and his offensive staff continue to beef up the LSU football running back room.
The coaches added another tailback out of the transfer portal Tuesday when Charlotte freshman running back Rod Gainey Jr. announced his commitment to the Tigers via his social media pages. Gainey joins Utah freshman tailback Raycine Guillory who signed with LSU earlier in the transfer portal window.
Gainey is the third portal addition for LSU Tuesday as Boise State safety Ty Benefield and Clemson defensive lineman Stephiylan Green each committed earlier in the day.
This season for Charlotte, Gainey rushed for 260 yards on 74 carries with a touchdown.
Why RB Rod Gainey Jr. picked LSU football out of transfer portal
Again, this is another step up in competition level spot for an LSU transfer. Gainey has played two seasons at the Group of Five level with the 49ers and now there’s an opportunity to test his mettle against talent in the Southeastern Conference.
There’s also a connection between Gainey and LSU’s new staff as well. Kiffin recruited Gainey a couple of years ago when he was the head coach at Ole Miss so there’s familiarity.
How Rod Gainey Jr. will fit LSU football’s roster
Not only is LSU a step up in competition, but for Gainey there’s a chance to see the field in the purple and gold early. The Tigers are thin at running back, welcoming back just Harlem Berry in terms of guys who saw the field for LSU last season.
Kiffin wanted to bring in depth at the tailback spot this offseason through the portal and the addition of Gainey fills some of that void for the coach’s first roster in Baton Rouge.
LSU football transfer targets
- Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt
- Penn State edge rusher Chaz Coleman
- Kansas State wide receiver Jayce Brown
- Florida wide receiver Eugene Wilson
- North Carolina State wide receiver Terrell Anderson
- California-Davis running back Carter Vargas
- McNeese State cornerback Javon Davis
- UAB wide receiver Iverson Hooks
When does transfer portal close?
The NCAA transfer portal window closes Jan. 16. Players cannot enter their name in the portal following that date. But those whose name is already in the transfer portal can still decide and sign with a new school after Jan. 16.
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.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Rod Gainey Jr transfer portal: How LSU football landed him how he fits
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