LSU offers Coastal Carolina defensive lineman

On Friday, LSU handed out a fourth offer in the NCAA Transfer Portal.

The Tigers have now entered the mix for Coastal Carolina defensive end Josaiah Stewart.

Stewart, who is listed at 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, is a Bronx (NY) native who attended high school at Everett High in Massachusetts before signing with Coastal Carolina in the 2021 class.

Since entering the NCAA Transfer Portal this week, Stewart has added offers from LSU, Southern Cal, Cincinnati, North Carolina, Missouri, Mississippi State, West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Michigan.

Stewart played in 13 games as a true freshman, logging 43 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks. He also added three forced fumbles, which led to him being named to a number of Freshman All-American teams.

As a sophomore this past season, Stewart played in 12 games and logged 36 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and three sacks, adding another forced fumble. 

Through two seasons and 25 games, he’s registered 79 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, 16 sacks and four forced fumbles.

LSU’s Transfer Portal Offers

Below is a running list of offers the Tigers have out in the Transfer Portal:

Kyle Morlock – TE – Shorter University … The graduate transfer out of Division II Shorter University picked up an offer from LSU in November. He has added double-digit offers since entering the portal, and he’s yet to trim his list or name any favorites. LSU leaned heavily on true freshman Mason Taylor this season, and Kole Taylor played a backup role as a junior. The Tigers don’t have any other scholarship signees on roster, and LSU enters the stretch run to the Early Signing Period on December 21 with one tight end committed in Mac Markway.

Braden Fiske – DT – Western Michigan … Fiske has spent five seasons at Western Michigan, but thanks to a redshirt season and taking advantage of the 2020 pandemic season that didn’t dock players a year of eligibility, he still has one season of college football in front of him as a graduate student. Fiske finished the 2022 season with 58 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, seven quarterback hurries and three pass breakups. For his career, he logged 148 tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks across his career.

Bradyn Swinson – EDGE – Oregon … This season, Swinson tallied eight tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Swinson has spent three seasons at Oregon, finishing with 35 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, three pass breakups and a forced fumble. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Josaiah Stewart – DL – Coastal Carolina … Stewart burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2021 when he logged 12.5 sacks. After two seasons where he piled up 79 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss and 16 sacks, Stewart entered his name into the NCAA Transfer Portal and quickly added an offer from LSU’s staff.

LSU players in the Transfer Portal

Below is a running list of current/former LSU players in the Transfer Portal:

Jack Bech – WR – Sophomore … Bech made a huge splash during his freshman season in 2021 when he led the team in catches (43) and finished with the third-most receiving yards (489). With three touchdowns, it appeared he was primed to make a big splash in Year 2. But Bech battled through injury and fell behind in the rotation at receiver and finished the year with 16 catches for 200 yards and a touchdown. After the production dip, Bech announced his intentions on December 6 to enter the transfer portal in search of a new role on another roster.

Damarius McGhee – CB – Sophomore … The Florida native played in one game in the 2022 season after playing in 12 games in 2021, including a start at cornerback against Kansas State. He was unable to break into the cornerback rotation this season, though, as LSU brought in a slew of transfers, making for a competitive cornerback room. He retained his redshirt this season, leaving him with three seasons still to play wherever he ends up.

Raydarious Jones – CB – Junior … Jones was suspended the entire 2022 season (academics), but he appeared in nine games a year ago as a backup and on special teams. He saw action in three games during the 2020 season, and he appeared in four games during LSU’s National Championship season in 2019.

Kole Taylor – TE – Junior … In 2022, Taylor caught five passes for 55 yards. In 2021, Taylor played in 12 games with three starts. He caught six passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. As a true freshman in 2020, Taylor played in seven games with two starts. His game against Florida when a Gator tossed his cleat down the field resulted in an LSU 1st down, allowing Cade York’s game-winning kick in the fog to become a legendary play in the rivalry.

Desmond Little – EDGE – Junior … In 2022, the Alabama native notched six tackles on the year in seven games and broke up a pass against Southern. In 2021, Little played in five games, making 10 tackles, three tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Little redshirted during the 2019 National Championship season before playing in two games during the 2020 season.

Kolbe Fields – LB – Redshirt Freshman … Fields, who transferred in from South Carolina a year ago after appearing in four games for the Gamecocks, saw a role on special teams in his one season with LSU. He appeared in 11 games and made five tackles.

Cameron Wire – OT – Senior … Wire had 10 starts in his first three years and 22 appearances from 2019 through 2021. Wire was expected to start at tackle for the Tigers in 2022, but after a rough performance in the season-opening loss to Florida State, Wire was relegated to the second string and played in just three other games this season. Despite being a senior, Wire was able to use his redshirt this season, playing only four games. He did not redshirt in his first three years at LSU. The 6-foot-6 senior from Gonzales was able to bounce from guard to tackle under Brad Davis and will look for somewhere to contribute in 2023. He also has his COVID season, giving him two years of eligibility remaining.

Phillip Webb – EDGE – Redshirt Sophomore … Webb had just one tackle in three games played as a redshirt freshman at LSU in 2021. He entered the portal ahead of the 2022 season and isn’t currently listed on the LSU roster.

Antoine Sampah – LB – Junior … Sampah appeared in four games in 2020 and two games in 2021, but didn’t record any stats. He entered the portal ahead of the 2022 season and isn’t currently listed on the LSU roster.