Brian Kelly was able to succeed in the transfer portal again as the Tigers currently rank No. 1 in the overall transfer portal rankings. LSU was able to add 11 additions in the offseason and they were able to fill some empty holes on both sides of the ball, specifically on the defensive side where they are losing key starters in the secondary. Meet the new Tigers that will be serve a key role on whether LSU will reach its ceiling heading into the 2023 season:
Omar Speights, Linebacker:
Omar Speights led Oregon State with 83 tackles, eight tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries and one pass breakup. Speights was listed on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy award watch list and the Bednarik Award watch list for his performance in 2022. He would end the season with 308 tackles for his career, which would be good for ninth in the history of the Oregon State football program.
Ovie Oghoufo, Edge:
Ovie Oghoufo registered 54 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, four quarterback hurries and three pass breakups. Oghufufo started his collegiate career at Notre Dame before transferring to Texas heading into the 2021 season. He played in 20 games with Notre Dame where he registered 22 total tackles, 2.5 sacks and three pass breakups.
JK Johnson, Cornerback:
JK Johnson had a brief stint with the Buckeyes as he worked through a rehab assignment during the 2021 season, but he was able to make his collegiate debut against Akron. In his second season in 2022, Johnson recorded three solo tackles against Arkansas State.
Jordan Jefferson, Defensive Line:
Jordan Jefferson racked up 31 total tackles, three sacks and five pass deflections during the 2022 season. Jefferson would primarily play at the nose tackle position during his tenure with West Virginia. He finishes his career with the Mountaineers with 54 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and seven pass deflections.
Duce Chestnut, Cornerback:
Duce Chestnut would be the anchor for the Syracuse defense during the 2022 season as he would help the Orange defense that finished 14th in the country in passing defense (184.8) and 21st in total defense (328.6). Chestnut would finish his career with Syracuse with four interceptions, one touchdown, 83 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and nine pass breakups.
Aaron Anderson, Wide Receiver:
Aaron Anderson’s freshman season was plagued with injuries as he appeared in one game against Austin Peay. Anderson was highly regarded as one of the nation’s top prep wide receivers in the Class of 2022. The New Orleans native would redshirt after appearing in only one game with the Crimson Tide, before deciding to transfer to LSU in December of 2022.
Jalen Lee, Defensive Line:
Jalen Lee would play in all 12 games of the season for Florida with three of them being starts at the nose tackle position. Lee registered eight total tackles and eight assists during the 2022 season for the Gators defensive line. He would see action across the defensive line throughout the season.
Denver Harris, Cornerback:
Denver Harris would see limited action on the field during his freshman campaign in 2022 at Texas A&M. Harris made two solo tackles in his collegiate debut against Sam Houston and would register three tackles against Appalachian State. He would add three pass breakups and three tackles against Mississippi State. Harris was a five-star prospect coming out of North Shore High School and was one of the nation’s top cornerback recruits in the Class of 2022.
Paris Shand, Defensive Line:
Paris Shand appeared in nine games with seven starts during the 2022 season for Arizona. He would reach a career-high with 23 tackles, including 12 solo tackles and 11 assists. Shand would also record 2.5 sacks for a loss of 15 yards, forced two fumbles and recovered one fumble. He spent three years at Arizona, appearing in 24 games with 10 starts.
Bradyn Swinson, Edge:
Bradyn Swinson appeared in all 12 regular season games for Oregon in the 2022 season. Swinson ended the season with eight total tackles, five solo and 1.5 tackles for loss. He played 144 snaps on defense and 90 on special teams. Swinson is a talented edge rusher and he was a highly-recruited prospect coming out of high school in the Class of 2020.
Zy Alexander, Cornerback:
Zy Alexander was a three-year starter at Southeastern Louisiana before transferring to LSU. Alexander registered 27 tackles, three interceptions and four pass breakups during the 2022 season. For his performance on the field, Alexander earned first team All-Southland Conference honors for the second straight year.
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