LSU Adds Commitment From Tulane Safety Andre Sam

Brian Kelly and Co. strike gold once again in the NCAA Transfer Portal after securing a commitment from Tulane safety Andre Sam on Thursday. Sam is fresh off of a visit to Baton Rouge where he reveals his pledge less than 24 hours later.

Sam arrived on campus on Wednesday where he met with the staff and a few members of the team. Ultimately selecting LSU, it was a battle between the Tigers and Miami down the stretch.

A Louisiana native, Sam played five seasons with the McNeese State Cowboys before transferring to Marshall for the 2022 season. Following his stint with the Thundering Herd, Sam announced he’d return to his home state for his final year of eligibility after transferring to Tulane, but returned to the portal once again.

Sam signed with McNeese State in the 2017 class where he played in 33 games for the Cowboys. The standout defensive back totaled 179 tackles, five interceptions and 20 pass breakups with McNeese, earning all conference honors twice, before transferring to Marshall for the 2022 season.

Once with the Thundering Herd, Sam tallied 53 tackles, eight pass breakups and one interception in 12 games played.

COMMITTED!! 🐯 pic.twitter.com/swCTyfRL2Y
— André Sam (@SamMoney_1) May 18, 2023

The Timeline:

Sam began his college football career at McNeese State, where he played under then-head coach Lance Guidry. In 2022 he transferred to Marshall, where Guidry was named the defensive coordinator.

After the 2022 season at Marshall, he then followed Guidry to Tulane, but it didn’t last long. Guidry quickly left Tulane, one month after accepting the job, to fill Miami's defensive coordinator job. After another departure for Guidry, it resulted in Sam hitting the portal once again.

There are ties for Sam to LSU. With Coach Frank Wilson on staff in Baton Rouge, where he formerly coached Sam in Lake Charles at McNeese, we saw Wilson put his foot on the gas for Sam.

With the Tigers looking to add depth to their secondary, Sam is the perfect addition for this program moving forward. Recruited as a safety, Sam will battle it out with returnees Major Burns and Greg Brooks for playing time this season during his final year of eligibility.