LSU Football Adding Impactful Transfers to Surround Garrett Nussmeier on Offense

Brian Kelly and Co. will have an embarrassment of riches offensively in 2025, Nussmeier surrounded by weapons.

Nov 23, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) signals a first down against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier revealed in December that he would be returning to Baton Rouge for the 2025 season with unfinished business in the purple and gold.

Nussmeier, the Tigers' starting signal-caller in 2024, will look to build off of a productive redshirt-junior campaign for the Bayou Bengals last fall.

The Lake Charles native made the decision to 2025 NFL Draft where he had the chance to be a Top-5 quarterback taken in April.

Instead, he'll return to LSU for his final season of eligibility under Brian Kelly.

Nussmeier will look to develop this offseason after piecing together a 2024 campaign where he totaled 3,738 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 12 games played.

But he'll be joined by several immediate impact pieces in Baton Rouge via the NCAA Transfer Portal after the program knocked it out of the park this offseason.

The Additions on Offense (8): Transfer Portal Signees

IOL Braelin Moore: Virginia Tech

Moore, the No. 1 rated interior offensive lineman in the NCAA Transfer Portal, heads to Baton Rouge after three seasons with the Hokies.

The ACC stud became an integral piece to Virginia Tech's offense after serving as the main source on the offensive line.

Moore handled business as the starting center for the Hokies where he will now look to take on the same role in Baton Rouge for the Tigers.

The 6-foot-3, 303-pounder helped lead a Virginia Tech rushing attack that logged over 2,000 yards during the regular season.

It's no secret LSU's run-blocking was a struggle in 2024, and with Moore in the mix, it'll give a boost in the trenches the Tigers need.

LSU will lose four starting offensive linemen from the 2024 season with tackles Will Campbell and Emery Jones forgoing their final season of eligibility and declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft.

OL Josh Thompson: Northwestern

Thompson, the No. 1 uncommitted interior offensive lineman in the NCAA Transfer Portal at the time of his pledge, selected LSU over Tennessee down the stretch in his recruitment.

The 6-foot-5, 301-pounder was rated as the No. 2 offensive lineman in the Big Ten, according to PFF, with several programs expressing significant interest.

Thompson joins Moore as the pair of offensive line commitments after committing to the program over Tennessee in December.

WR Nic Anderson: Oklahoma

Anderson set the Oklahoma freshman record for touchdown receptions with 10 in 2023. His 798 receiving yards that year rank No. 2 in Oklahoma history for a freshman. In two years with the Sooners, Anderson appeared in 17 games with six starts, all coming as a redshirt freshman in 2023. Anderson missed the entire 2024 season with an injury.

Anderson earned Freshman All-America honors from The Athletic in 2023 and was twice named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week. He had three 100-yard games with a career-high 120 yards on three receptions against Tulsa. All three of his receptions against Tulsa went for touchdowns.

WR Barion Brown: Kentucky

Brown went public with a decision to sign with the LSU Tigers in December after a midweek visit to Baton Rouge. After a three-year stint with Kentucky, Brown now heads to LSU with over 120 career catches, 1500+ receiving yards and double-digit touchdowns.

Brown also holds the record for most kick return touchdowns in SEC history with five in his college career. Look for Brown to be an integral piece to LSU's success in 2025.

"Explosiveness, veteran presence, maturity that he brings to the room. We have some young players and I think it's pretty clear, when you're recruiting receivers you're looking at who your quarterback is to. You've got a veteran quarterback, someone who can push the ball down the field. He looked at that, at the success of the receivers at LSU. He's an explosive player and I think it was pretty easy this was going to be a great fit for him," Kelly said on Monday.

QB Michael Van Buren: Mississippi State

Mississippi State transfer quarterback Michael Van Buren went public with a decision to transfer to the LSU Tigers in December after one season in Starkville. After starting as a true freshman for the Bulldogs, he heads to Baton Rouge for the 2025 season.

Van Buren provides LSU with a backup quarterback that has SEC experience. In 10 appearances as a true freshman in 2024, Van Buren completed 140-of-256 passes for 1,886 yards and 11 touchdowns. He added another five rushing TDs for the Bulldogs.

"When you're looking at your entire roster, you're making an incredible investment across the board. You have to look at each position and if Garrett was to go down, you have to have somebody there," Kelly said on Monday. "But more importantly you have to have competition at every position. Michael is going to compete with Garrett and we wanted to bring Michael in because he's somebody who has started in the SEC.

TE Bauer Sharp: Oklahoma

Oklahoma tight end Bauer Sharp will head to Baton Rouge after coming off of a year where he led the Sooners in receptions (42) and receiving yards (324) in 2024.

"He's a talented player with physicality; especially in the run game. If you watch him closely, some of the things they did with him in the passing game, we've seen from other tight ends," Kelly said of Sharp on Friday after the signing was made official.

"If you really look at his body of work, it's the physicality in the run game. Pulling, blocking tackles, being out on the perimeter. Love his physicality in the run-game. Still, a very good athlete. He came in as a quarterback at Southeast Louisiana. He has the ability to do some really good things for us in the passing game as well."

TE Donovan Green: Texas A&M

Green, a former Top-10 tight end in the 2022 Recruiting Class, heads to Baton Rouge after three seasons with the Aggies. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.

The 6-foot-4, 265-pounder totaled 22 catches for 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns across three seasons in College Station.

Green appeared in 17 games with four starts for the Aggies with his production coming during his true freshman campaign in 2022. He suffered a torn ACL in 2023 that sidelined him for most of the season. He totaled 41 snaps in 2024.

The Tigers are hoping Green can return to his true freshman form after injury in 2023 and a down year in 2024

WR Destyn Hill: Florida State

Florida State wide receiver transfer Destyn Hill has made the decision to return to his home-state after two seasons in Tallahassee. It's been a rollercoaster career to this point for Hill, but he now returns back to the Bayou State.

The former Top-100 wide receiver in the 2021 recruiting cycle returns home after a stint with the Seminoles. A 2021 recruit, Hill did not enroll with Florida State until 2023 where he made things official with the program.

That year, he reeled in six receptions for 87 yards with an 14.5 yards per catch average. He missed the 2024 season due to injury and will have multiple years of eligibility for the Tigers.

More LSU News:

LSU Adds Commitments From Seven Top-100 Transfers in the Portal

LSU Dishes Out Offer to No. 1 Quarterback in America

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

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