Brian Kelly and others on Tuesday made an offer to Kent State transfer defensive lineman CJ West, one of the nation's top prospects in the spring portal.
For LSU, the scholarship going to West is the first offered by the program as the Bayou Bengals continue to seek depth on the defensive line.
West attracted offers from programs across the country, including Arkansas, Miami, and Texas A&M, with Bo Davis and the Tigers in particular getting into the act early.
West recorded 110 tackles, including 19.5 tackles for loss, in four seasons at Kent State, and seven sacks in 36 games with the Golden Flashes.
West led the team in total sacks with seven sacks in two of his four seasons with the program. As soon as he got into the backfield, West deflected one pass, forced a fumble and recovered another during his stint at Kent State.
In his senior season in 2023, West recorded 40 total tackles, seven for loss, and two sacks.
Brian Kelly has been vocal about the Tigers entering the NCAA transfer portal during the spring to add depth up front, but it's unclear how LSU's versatility could help them this fall. More details on what you can do:
“You can move (defensive end) Bradyn Swinson inside, you can move Paris Shand inside, you can move Dashawn Womack to the edge, you can move (linebacker) Harold Perkins to the edge. It's a different configuration. I think some defensive linemen can run the team and be really dynamic. On first down and second down, you have to work really hard to get after the quarterback. But in terms of stopping that run. So, Jacobean Guillory was outstanding. In terms of what we wanted from Bo Davis, he was outstanding. We've got to find another guy. That's what we're looking for. We're trying to develop a second player and have some depth behind them.”
So far, LSU has lost one defensive lineman through the NCAA transfer portal during this spring, with redshirt freshman EDGE Jackson Howard choosing to leave Baton Rouge.
Howard has been a hot commodity since his name officially entered the portal market, holding offers from Minnesota, Purdue, and Indiana, among several other Power 4 programs.
More LSU news:
LSU Football: Top freshman wide receiver enters NCAA transfer portal
Introduction to the transfer portal: Where does LSU football stand in the second window?
Wide Receiver Big Board: Who's driving LSU football to deliver on its promise?
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