Former Freshman All-American Branded as Transfer Portal Bust After 100-Yard Season
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
The 2025 college football season didn’t go as planned for the LSU Tigers. The Tigers entered the year with College Football Playoff and national championship aspirations under head coach Brian Kelly.
The team began the season with high expectations, as many believed they had one of the best offenses in college football. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier had just completed a strong season, placing him in discussions for the Heisman Trophy and potential first-round draft pick status.
Additionally, the Tigers boasted an impressive receiving corps, featuring Aaron Anderson, Barion Brown, Nic Anderson and Zavion Thomas. Despite these promising prospects, the Tigers finished the regular season with a 7-5 record, and their offense struggled significantly, ranking No. 109 in total offense, No. 64 in passing offense and No. 120 in rushing offense.
Nussmeier had a disappointing season, recording 1,927 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. No wide receiver on the team had even 500 receiving yards. As a result of this underwhelming performance, Nic Anderson was placed on CBS Sports’ list of the biggest transfer portal busts for the 2025 season.
“Outside of logging just nine snaps in a game against Tennessee, Anderson was sidelined for the majority of the season,” Cameron Salerno wrote. “During the 2023 campaign, Anderson had a breakout year, accounting for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns. The third-ranked wide receiver in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings enrolled at LSU, looking for a fresh start, but couldn’t replicate similar production. Anderson finished with 12 catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns in nine games.”
As Salerno noted, Nic Anderson had an outstanding 2023 season as a redshirt freshman for the Oklahoma Sooners, earning recognition as a freshman All-American. He hoped to build on this success; however, injuries plagued his career. In 2022, he was limited to just three games due to a persistent injury. In 2024, he managed to play only a few snaps in a single game because of another injury.
Despite these challenges, On3 ranked him as the 23rd-best prospect in the transfer portal. He subsequently decided to transfer to LSU for this season, but again faced injuries during the season, which limited his impact when he was on the field.
As LSU looks ahead, Nic’s season serves as a reminder of how fragile even the most promising situations can be in the transfer portal era. Injuries once again prevented him from building momentum, and the Tigers never found the offensive identity they expected entering the year. Whether Nic seeks another reset or works toward a healthy return, his story underscores the fine line between portal success and missed opportunity, one LSU will be eager to avoid as it reshapes its roster moving forward.
LSU will face No. 21 Houston (9-3) in the Texas Bowl at 9:15 p.m. Dec. 27 on ESPN.
Related: Paul Finebaum Reveals What Makes LSU a Less Desirable Job Than Before
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 14, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos