LSU Loses Third Offensive Lineman to the Transfer Portal
In this story:
LSU offensive lineman Xavier Hill has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. The Mississippi native played in seven games for the Tigers and is now the third offensive lineman to enter the portal over the last nine days.
Hill earned reps with the first-team during spring camp before ultimately being beat out by freshman Will Campbell for starting left tackle duties.
Along with Hill, offensive linemen Marcus Dumervil and Cam Wire have also entered the transfer portal as the Tigers continue to shift their focus towards the youngsters, specifically Campbell and Emery Jones.
The 6-foot-4, 318-pounder signed with the Tigers in 2020, choosing LSU over Alabama, Texas A&M and Arkansas, among others.
Brian Kelly’s program has a few youngsters coming in this offseason in their 2023 recruiting class, specifically 5-star Zalance Heard.
With a priority in building up their offensive line through the younger guys, it was expected LSU loses a few big guys up front to the portal.
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.”
