Former LSU OL Kardell Thomas Reveals Transfer Destination

Thomas will take his talents to the Sunshine State, look to make an immediate impact.

LSU offensive lineman Kardell Thomas announced he would be departing from Brian Kelly's program in January, and after a visit to the Sunshine State, he’s found his new home.

Thomas revealed his commitment to Florida A&M on Tuesday where he’ll have two years of eligibility remaining.

Thomas became the fourth offensive lineman to depart the program this offseason, joining Cam Wire, Marcus Dumervil and Xavier Hill.

A Baton Rouge native, Thomas heads to Florida A&M as a graduate transfer after playing in just four games for the Tigers in 2022, which also included the Citrus Bowl victory over Purdue.

Thomas was a member of the 2019 national championship squad led by Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase, but suffered a preseason ankle injury that sidelined him.

Thomas, a versatile offensive lineman, now has the chance to make an immediate impact moving forward with his new program as he looks to close out his college career in Florida.

Brian Kelly’s Transfer Portal Message:

“They have got to be the right fit first,” Kelly said. “They have to recognize the value of an education from LSU. They have to have the right traits. We are not just open for business. We’re not just putting a sign up saying, hey, we are going to take whoever. They have to be the right fit. I prefer that they are from the state of Louisiana if we can find them. And then we are going to address needs based upon how that freshman class marries into it by the particular needs by position class.

“So we are not going to overload a particular position group. In other words, if we have got three or four wide receivers that are freshmen coming in, you may not see a heavy influence in the portal in that position.

“We are going to develop based upon our freshman class, too. So we are doing this at the same time, and also allowing our program to be younger, too. We want to bring both of these along. We don’t always want to be a turn-it-over program where we are bringing in transfers and turning the program over.”