When does transfer portal open? LSU football's key dates, needs list
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BATON ROUGE — The College Football Playoff isn’t the only thing college football fans will be watching in January.
Come Jan. 2 the transfer portal opens and specifically for LSU football fans, they’ll finally get to watch new coach Lane Kiffin do his thing as he’s become known as the portal king.
Earlier this year, the NCAA adopted a new rule that shrunk the number of transfer portal windows down to one. Players that intend to leave their current school and transfer can announce they plan to transfer but can’t enter the transfer portal until Jan. 2.
There will be a number of positions that Kiffin and the new LSU coaching staff will aim to bolster through the transfer portal this offseason.
When does transfer portal open?
The college football transfer portal opens Jan. 2.
LSU football transfer portal needs
With Kiffin now at the helm, there is sizeable expected roster turnover for the Tigers. That means the new coaching staff will be in the market for a number of players and the roster needs will be plentiful.
LSU will likely start at quarterback but the needs on offense don’t stop there. The offensive line will be depleted as three linemen have announced they intend to transfer out and the unit was already young and lacking of depth. Kiffin will want some wide receivers as well as LSU’s top receiver are graduating.
On defense, defensive line and linebacker will be areas where the transfer portal should be most utilized. Both of those units had seniors and they’ll be gone so the Tigers will be in the market for quality players that can come in and start.
How college football transfer portal works
Players who decide they want to leave their school can enter their name into the transfer portal on Jan. 2. Once they do, other schools can then actively recruit them to play. Players generally announce before the portal opening that they intend to transfer but that doesn’t become official until they are formally in the database.
Is there a limit on players LSU can get from the transfer portal?
No, there is no limit on how many transfers LSU can get out of the transfer portal.
What are transfer portal changes for 2026?
The NCAA adopted a new rule to the transfer portal earlier this year minimizing the number of transfer portal windows down to one. College football players can only start the process of transferring Jan. 2.
Under the new bylaw, the transfer portal stays open for two weeks and closes Jan. 16 which means players are not permitted to enter the transfer portal after that date. But players who already in the portal by that date are not required to choose their new school by that date and can still choose where they want to play after the portal closing date.
LSU football transfer portal history
The top player LSU has gotten out of the transfer portal was quarterback Jayden Daniels from Arizona State. Daniels played two seasons in Baton Rouge and won the Heisman Trophy in 2023.
This past offseason, LSU landed cornerback Mansoor Delane out of the portal from Virginia Tech and that proved fruitful as he was named a unanimous All-American in 2025. Delane is projected to be a first-round NFL Draft pick.
Other players LSU has gotten out of the portal include wide receiver Aaron Anderson, wide receiver Barion Brown, safety A.J. Haulcy and safety Major Burns.
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: When does transfer portal open? LSU football’s key dates
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