Former No. 1 WR in Louisiana, LSU Football Freshman Leaves Lane Kiffin's Program

Kiffin and Co. see the former No. 1 rated wideout in the Bayou State make his move, reveals intentions of departing the program.

Courtesy of Taron Francis' Instagram.

LSU Tigers wide receiver TaRon Francis will enter the NCAA Transfer Portal and depart Baton Rouge after spending one season with the program, according to CBS Sports.

Francis signed with the Bayou Bengals as the No. 1 wide reciever in Louisiana in the 2025 Recruiting Cycle over a myriad of offers; including Florida State, Michigan, Georgia Tech, and Ole Miss, among several others.

The 6-foot-1, 207-pounder played in four regular season games and the program's Texas Bowl clash against Houston, but did not record any stats after redshirting in his lone season at LSU.

Now, after one year in Baton Rouge, Francis elects to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal and will depart the program in search of a new home where the Louisiana native will become a hot commodity.

Francis adds to the mass exodus at LSU with the program seeing over 25 players enter the Transfer Portal once Lane Kiffin was hired by the program on Nov. 30.

NEW: LSU WR TaRon Francis plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, @PeteNakos and @Hayesfawcett3 report.

Francis was a 4-star in the 2025 class.https://t.co/kSYG7dZ8sR pic.twitter.com/xbKWSkzkFg

— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) January 5, 2026

The Departures [28]: Transfer Portal Edition

- Kylan Billiot: Wide Receiver
- Jelani Watkins: Wide Receiver
- Ashton Stamps: Cornerback
- Ahmad Breaux: Defensive Lineman
- Wallace Foster IV: Cornerback
- Sydir Mitchell: Defensive Lineman
- Ju'Juan Johnson: Running Back
- Kaleb Jackson: Running Back
- Colin Hurley: Quarterback
- Carius Curne: Offensive Lineman
- Coen Echols: Offensive Lineman
- Javien Toviano: Safety
- DJ Chester - Offensive Lineman
- Austin Ausberry - Safety
- Paul Mubenga - Offensive Lineman
- Ory Williams - Offensive Lineman
- Princeton Malbrue: Linebacker
- Khayree Lee: Offensive Lineman
- Joel Rogers: Safety
- Donovan Green: Tight End
- Kyle Parker: Wide Receiver
- Destyn Hill: Wide Receiver
- Ethan Calloway: Offensive Lineman
- Caden Durham: Running Back
- JT Lindsey: Running Back
- Michael Van Buren: Quarterback
- Zion Williams: Defensive Line
- TaRon Francis: Wide Receiver

Lane Kiffin's Take: Building a Championship Roster

“This place is built for championships with championship expectations. We understand that, but as an elite competitor, that’s exactly what you want, and that’s why we’re here,” Kiffin said at his introductory press conference. …

"I know that we have, with the passion of LSU family and our LSU players, that we have everything to bring championship football back to LSU.

“It’s time for LSU to take its place back as the best program in all of college football. … I’m uniquely prepared at 50 years old for this job to have been so many places, done good things, made a lot of mistakes and made them really early on.”

More LSU News:

LSU Hosts No. 1 EDGE Transfer as Lane Kiffin Pushes For Ex-Penn State Defender

LSU Football Hosting Elite Florida Gators Transfer For Visit, Former Five-Star Recruit

Arkansas Razorbacks, Kentucky Wildcats Among Teams to Watch for LSU Football Transfer

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