The Transfer Tracker: Another LSU starter is entering the portal

The list of LSU Football players who don’t plan to be on Lane Kiffin‘s next roster continues to grow.

And the number of Tigers leaving the program to explore other options is expected to grow following Saturday’s final game of the season against Houston in the Texas Bowl.

The most recent addition, for the third time in a row, came from a one-time starter on the LSU offensive line.

While the offensive line was perhaps the unit on LSU’s team that struggled the most this season, and a major rebuild is expected under Kiffin and first-year offensive line coach Eric Wolford, the loss of four players with starts under their belts is notable.

LSU starting offensive tackle Carius Curne became the first big name in the trenches to announce his plans to transfer, and starting left guard Coen Echols – who played the third-most snaps among all the Tigers on offense – followed a week later.

Then came news on DJ Chester’s transfer decision, which comes after a season when he played a backup role after starting every game at center during the 2024 season.

The NCAA Transfer Portal does not officially open until Jan. 2 and runs through Jan. 16, a 14-day window when players can make campus visits and finalize decisions to transfer in and out of college programs.

Until the portal window begins, players will continue to announce their intentions to enter the portal.

The Bengal Tiger has the running list of LSU names set to transfer following the program’s 7-5 finish to the 2025 season, which will wrap up in the Lone Star State with a Texas Bowl matchup against Houston on December 27.

(Updated: 13 LSU Tigers set to transfer … December 27, 1:32 p.m. CT)

QB Colin Hurley … On December 17, On3’s Pete Nakos reported Hurley planned to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal. It comes as no surprise given Hurley left the team during the 2025 regular season, and the search for playing time is clearly at the forefront of his decision given two seasons in Baton Rouge did not bring a single snap for the Florida native. The redshirt freshman and former 4-star, who was the No. 23 quarterback prospect in the 2024 recruiting cycle, has three years of eligibility remaining.

RB Ju’Juan Johnson … On December 10, On3’s Pete Nakos reported Johnson’s plans to enter the transfer portal. The former Lafayette Christian Academy star switched from offense to defense and back to offense during his time in purple-and-gold. This past season, he found a home in the running back room – and he played in big spots during a season when he logged 235 snaps for the Tigers. With Johnson’s decision to leave the program, LSU is down to three scholarship running backs: Harlem Berry, Caden Durham, and Kaleb Jackson – though Jackson took a redshirt and did not see snaps after the early part of the 2025 season. Following the lack of usage, all signs pointed to Jackson hitting the portal, and he revealed the decision less than 48 hours later.

RB Kaleb Jackson … On December 12, Jackson made it official. After choosing to sit out of the remainder of LSU’s games to preserve his redshirt, Jackson will enter the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining. In four games this season, Jackson only played 35 snaps for the Tigers. The result: 7 carries for 16 yards and 5 catches for 33 yards. His breakout campaign came as a true freshman when he carried the ball 35 times and scored four touchdowns, but he didn’t score again the following two seasons and never eclipsed his freshman mark of 165 total rushing yards in a season.

OL Carius Curne … Curne, a former Rivals 5-star prospect who was once ranked as the No. 1 interior offensive line recruit in the 2025 class, plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal. The news, first reported by On3’s Hayes Fawcett on December 17, is arguably the biggest portal exit so far for Lane Kiffin and the new-look offensive staff in Baton Rouge. Curne, who Kiffin recruited to Ole Miss out of high school, started five games as a true freshman and logged more than 300 snaps for LSU this past season. Among a struggling offensive line, Curne had proven to be one of the promising young bright spots. Now, he’s likely headed elsewhere as Kiffin and Co. have to rebuild an offensive line unit that was one of the team’s biggest weak spots in 2025.

OL Coen Echols … Echols is the most recent addition to the growing list of LSU players set to enter the portal next month, announcing his decision on December 23. With the decision, Echols moves into the top spot for the Tiger set to transfer who played the most snaps this past season. With 583 snaps played, Echols was on the field more than all but two other players on offense in starting right guard Josh Thompson (787) and one-time starting right tackle Weston Davis (646 snaps). He started in seven of LSU’s 12 games, working in a rotation at times with fellow left guard Paul Mubenga. The one-time Texas A&M commitment flipped to LSU during his high school playing days in the Lone Star State, and he had a strong end to his true freshman season a year ago as a backup before moving into a bigger role in Baton Rouge this season.

OL Tyree Adams … Adams, who appeared in 17 games across his three seasons in Baton Rouge, won the starting left tackle job in 2025. He started the first eight games at the position, but an injury that required surgery ended his year before the month of November. Adams played 463 snaps for the Tigers before the injury, and across the past two seasons, he started double-digit games on the offensive line. Now, Adams is headed elsewhere barring a change of heart between now and the close of the portal window next month.

OL DJ Chester … This doesn’t come as a big surprise given Chester started every game at center for LSU in 2024, then was replaced by Virginia Tech transfer center Braelin Moore this season. Chester appeared in seven games this season, earning one start in the regular season finale loss to Oklahoma in Norman. He played 291 snaps on the season, which was a big dip from a team-high 925 snaps played the year prior. Chester has two years of college eligibility remaining.

WR Kylan Billiot … The Louisiana native took a redshirt in 2024 before appearing in one game this past season, totaling just seven snaps across the team’s 12-game regular season schedule.

WR Jelani Watkins … Watkins, one of the fastest players in college football, has plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal – which is a much bigger hit to the LSU Track-and-Field program given his future in track. Watkins appeared in five games across two seasons with the LSU Football team, catching a pair of passes for 21 yards while getting a couple opportunities in the return game on special teams. As for his track future, Watkins clocked a head-turning 10.02 (-0.2) 100-meter dash at the NCAA Track and Field Championships in June.

DL Ahmad Breaux … Breaux is one of the most experienced LSU players to announce his intention to transfer. As a true freshman in 2024, Breaux appeared in 13 games with two starts, closing out the year with 17 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. This season, Breaux rotated in on the defensive line and finished the year with 274 snaps played. That led to 19 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. It’s worth noting Breaux played for LSU defensive tackles coach Kyle Williams as a high school prospect at Ruston High, and Williams is widely believed to be leaving the LSU staff as he steps away from coaching at the college level.

DL Sydir Mitchell … Mitchell left the team before the season began, which was a move former head coach Brian Kelly said came after Mitchell didn’t meet the “standards” set by the program. Mitchell had previously transferred to LSU from Texas, and now the New Jersey native is on the move again. In his two seasons in Baton Rouge, Mitchell logged action as a backup in five games, totaling four tackles as a Tiger.

CB Ashton Stamps … Stamps should be a hot commodity in the NCAA Transfer Portal given the playing time under his belt – even if it didn’t come this season. Stamps only played in one game for LSU in 2025, logging 18 snaps before making the decision to take a redshirt and transfer once the season ended. However, Stamps comes with experience. Between his debut season as a freshman in 2023 and going wire-to-wire as a starter in 2024, Stamps appeared in 24 games with 17 starts in purple-and-gold. He logged 74 tackles and 16 total pass breakups during that stretch. The New Orleans native ranked inside the Top 5 in the SEC in passes defended (14) in 2024.

CB Wallace Foster IV … Foster appeared in two games as a freshman in 2024, then saw just one snap in one game for the Tigers this past season. With the revamped cornerback room relying on Mansoor Delane, DJ Pickett, and PJ Woodland for most of the 2025 season, Foster is one of multiple cornerbacks who have already announced a decision to transfer out in search of playing time elsewhere.