The Visitors List: Which LSU Football Transfer Targets are the Tigers Hosting?

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers remain a program wreaking havoc in the NCAA Transfer Portal with 10 additions through the first two weeks of the window.

Once the portal officially opened for business on Monday, Dec. 9, LSU instantly went to work with several priority targets on the radar.

Now, after 11 days, LSU is reaping the benefits of its recruiting efforts with significant signees to this point.

The Additions on Offense (5):
- TE Bauer Sharp: Oklahoma
- WR Barion Brown: Kentucky
- QB Michael Van Buren: Mississippi State
- WR Destyn Hill: Florida State
- WR Nic Anderson: Oklahoma

The Additions on Defense (4):
- CB Ja'Keem Jackson: Florida
- EDGE Jimari Butler: Nebraska
- EDGE Jack Pyburn: Florida
- CB Mansoor Delane: Virginia Tech

The Special Teams Additons (1):
Punter Grant Chadwick: Middle Tennessee

Now, LSU has transfers the program will turn up the push for over the next few days. Which targets will be in town this weekend? Who has been in town recently?

The Visitors List: Week 2 of the Portal Window

DE Patrick Payton: Florida State

The No. 1 defensive player in the NCAA Transfer Portal will make his way to Baton Rouge for a visit to campus this weekend. A source confirmed to LSU Tigers On SI that Payton will arrive on Friday. 247Sports first reported the visit.

Payton, the 2022 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, quickly became a hot commodity in the portal with a slew of potential suitors.

Once his name was officially in the system, 247Sports rated Payton as the No. 2 overall transfer and the No. 1 edge rusher in the market. He is the No. 1 defensive player in the portal.

The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder logged 109 tackles, 32 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, 12 pass breakups and three forced fumbles in three seasons with Florida State.

#LSU will host the No. 2 overall transfer in the portal for a visit to Baton Rouge this weekend: Florida State’s Patrick Payton.

The No. 1 EDGE available has logged 109 tackles, 32 TFLs, 16 sacks, 12 PBUs + 3 FF across three seasons with the Seminoles.

(@mzenitz first.) pic.twitter.com/QGIYPI3MYm
— Zack Nagy (@znagy20) December 20, 2024

LSU has already signed a pair of edge rushers in the NCAA Transfer Portal after Florida's Jack Pyburn and Nebraska's Jimari Butler pledged to the program, but a third now remains an option with Payton at the top of LSU's wish list.

Payton is the most coveted prospect on the market. He is the No. 1 uncommitted transfer with the chance to become an immediate impact star at his next destination. LSU remains out front with the first visit of his transfer process.

OT Fa'alili Fa'amoe: Washington State

On Thursday, Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reported that the LSU Tigers will host Washington State transfer Fa'alili Fa'amoe for a visit to Baton Rouge as he was on his way to Baton Rouge.

Fa'amoe is the No. 2 rated offensive tackle in the NCAA Transfer Portal with the staff looking to make another splash here.

We've seen the program be successful with transfers that have visited campus to this point. Will Fa'amoe be the next in line? Time will tell, but so far, he's wrapped up a visit with Nebraska, is currently on a trip to check out LSU and will then visit with the Michigan Wolverines.

Ex-Washington State star offensive tackle Fa’alili Fa’amoe, the top-ranked available offensive tackle in the transfer portal, has locked in a visit with Michigan, a source tells @CBSSports/@247Sports.

Is currently on his way to his LSU visit. Will visit Michigan next after that.… https://t.co/A5JwwEddsh pic.twitter.com/48PUeNoNJ0
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 20, 2024

The 6-foot-5, 314-pounder just wrapped up his redshirt-junior campaign with the Cougars where he will now look for a new home to play his final season of eligibility.

OL Josh Thompson: Northwestern

Northwestern offensive lineman Josh Thompson is a hot commodity in the Transfer Portal market this month after a dominant tenure with the Wildcats.

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

That includes offensive line coach Brad Davis and the LSU staff.

LSU, along with Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Tennessee, among several others, have reached out to the coveted lineman, according to multiple reports. 247Sports reported LSU's interest first.

LSU will need depth in the trenches next season after losing star tackles Will Campbell and Emery Jones to the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Tigers will lose four starters in total on the offensive line with Campbell off to the 2025 NFL Draft along with Jones while starting guards Garrett Dellinger and Miles Frazier are set to begin the next chapter after taking part in Senior Night.

LSU is heavily involved in Thompson's portal process alongside Michigan, Ohio State and Tennessee. He's fresh off of a visit to Knoxville where he checked in with the Volunteers and has now checked in with LSU for a trip, according to a source familiar with Thompson's process.

More LSU News:

The LSU Transfer Portal Update: Who's in? Who's out?

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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