How transfer portal player TJ Dottery fits with LSU football, LB depth chart
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BATON ROUGE – Make it three former players that are following Lane Kiffin.
Late Friday night, LSU football announced the signing of Ole Miss transfer junior linebacker TJ Dottery. The former Rebel joins wide receiver Winston Watkins and offensive lineman Devin Harper to form the trio that played for Kiffin in Oxford and will do the same in Baton Rouge.
Dottery was highly sought-after in the transfer portal as he was the Southeastern Conference‘s leading tackler in 2025 with 98.
The 6-1, 225-pound linebacker has one season of eligibility left.
Why TJ Dottery picked LSU football out of transfer portal
It’s interesting because Dottery’s position coach and defensive coordinator at Ole Miss under Kiffin is still there and now the head coach in Pete Golding. From the moment Dottery entered his name into the transfer portal a couple of days after the Rebel’s exit from the College Football Playoff in the semifinals, it was widely assumed that Dottery would end up at LSU with Kiffin.
The connection between Dottery and Kiffin mattered in the long run.
How TJ Dottery fits with LSU football’s roster
LSU had gone the entire transfer portal window without adding a linebacker as it seemingly was holding out for the prospect of adding Dottery. The Tigers‘ defense has a need a linebacker after some attrition and Dottery helps fill one of the remaining holes on the roster.
The expectation is Dottery starts alongside returning star Whit Weeks, who’ll be coming off an ankle injury going into next season. In terms in need, there have fewer pulls out of the portal for Kiffin and company that mean more than Dottery.
LSU football transfer targets
- Missouri edge rusher Damon Wilson
- North Dakota linebacker Theo Grace
- Minnesota offensive lineman Kahlee Tafai
- Wake Forest wide receiver Sterling Berkhalter
- Alabama offensive lineman Micah DeBose
- North Carolina State wide receiver Terrell Anderson
- Arkansas wide receiver Andy Jean
- California-Davis running back Carter Vargas
- McNeese State cornerback Javon Davis
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: LSU football gets TJ Dottery from transfer portal. How he fits
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