LSU OL target Jake Renfro has committed to Wisconsin
The LSU football staff’s pursuit of one of the top offensive linemen in the NCAA Transfer Portal has ended.
Former Cincinnati offensive lineman Jake Renfro, who entered the transfer portal on December 1, has committed to Wisconsin over LSU.
Renfro made a weekend visit to Baton Rouge before making an announcement. After returning home, Renfro went public with his decision to follow former Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell to Wisconsin.
Renfro was a multi-year starter for the Bearcats, and he earned All-AAC First-Team honors in 2021 before suffering a season-ending injury ahead of the 2022 season.
The Illinois native started 19 games in his two seasons on the field with the Bearcats. He played both the 2020 and 2021 seasons under then Cincinnati offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, who is now the offensive coordinator at LSU – which played a big role in the Tigers getting into the mix.
Renfro made 13 starts during the Bearcats’ historic 2021 season, which culminated with a trip to the College Football Playoffs. As a true freshman in 2020, Renfro played in seven games at center, making six starts.
LSU returns five offensive linemen who started games for the Tigers this past season, including center Charles Turner.
While Renfro is headed elsewhere, the LSU staff still had a big weekend with the addition of Syracuse cornerback Duce Chestnut, which moved the Tigers up to eight transfer portal additions across the past month.
“This group helps fill some immediate needs for our team,” LSU head coach Brian Kelly said. “Our staff did a great job of vetting each of these players to make sure they fit our program, not only from an ability standpoint, but more importantly, ensuring they are high character young men who are committed to academics.
“It’s important that when you add transfers to your roster, they have the traits we are looking for as we continue our mission to Graduate Champions. Along with the outstanding group of freshmen we signed (in December), we feel with this group of young men will significantly improve our roster for the present and the future of LSU football.”
