Something’s definitely cooking down in the Bayou—and it’s not just gumbo or crawfish. LSU Tigers and Brian Kelly have been low-key making some noise this offseason with portal after eating humble pie for 3 years straight without a single College Football Playoff appearance. But now? Let’s just say some serious coin is being tossed around behind those purple and gold curtains. We’re talking about 18 million-dollar moves, revamped squads, and some major quarterback talk that’s raising more eyebrows than Bourbon Street on a Saturday night.
And on April 14th, we finally got a little peek into the madness. LSU’s own Matt Moscona decided to drop some heat on his After Further Review podcast, and let’s just say—he didn’t hold back. He started tossing props to names like Jack Pyburn, Gabriel Reliford, and Jimari Butler like he was calling roll for a hit squad: “One of the things that highlighted the day was the defensive ends. In particular, Jack Pyburn had a safety in one of the scrimmage sessions where the offense lined up deep in their own territory—like they lined up at their own one, their own three, their own five-yard line. So, backed up against their own goal line. Pyburn had a safety. He had another sack in one of the team periods. Gabriel Reliford and Jimari Butler had sacks.”
And then he doubled down: “My contention is those dudes are going to be a problem for everybody’s offensive line. That’s why you went into the portal and spent so much money to get Payton, and Pyburn, and Butler, in addition to Gabriel Reliford and all the other guys that you’ve been recruiting at that position. And Brian Kelly was very mindful of the impact that they’ve had.” LSU Tigers went bananas in the 2024 transfer portal, grabbing some big-timers and headliners. The LSU Tigers were low-key ranked No.3 at On3’s transfer portal standings. All thanks to the $18 million honeypot.
Coach Brian Kelly didn’t just dip into the portal this offseason—he went full GTA mode and raided the place. The Tigers closed out 2024 with a 9–4 record and a W over Baylor in the Texas Bowl, but that wasn’t enough. They needed muscle. Especially on defense, where they’d been looking like a wet paper bag against most SEC offenses. In comes the $18 million plan…..
To put that in perspective, LSU’s collective only dropped about $12 million over the last three seasons combined. Meanwhile, Ole Miss blew $13 M last season alone. That gap? Yeah, it got personal. This winter, LSU finally turned that pressure into diamonds. They hit donors with NFL-style roster valuation charts, had Coach Kelly pulling up to CEOs’ offices, and started cashing in seven-figure checks.
The result? A top-ranked 16-man portal class that looks more like a Sunday NFL lineup than a college squad. LSU locked in starting WRs from Kentucky (Barion Brown) and Oklahoma (Nic Anderson), two rock-solid O-linemen from Northwestern and Virginia Tech, and a war-ready D-line trio (Patrick Payton, Jack Pyburn, and Jimari Butler) with over 200 career tackles between them from Florida State, Florida, and Nebraska. Sprinkle in edge rusher Harold Perkins sticking around, and now we’re talking title talk.
LSU’s Austin Thomas laid it out like this: “You have to be ready when guys enter the portal and be one of the first people to communicate with them.” He’s not wrong. LSU’s 16 transfers started 104 Power 5 games last season. That isn’t luck—that’s chess. Now, come July 1st—assuming the House settlement clears—the Tigers will be legally working with $13.5 million to split among players. That’s just the start. They’re bracing for the cap to balloon to $30 million within five years. Translation? The money game is not over—it’s just getting started. But we got to pump the brakes here. All this firepower and fat checks are dope and all, but it brings us to a whole different convo…
Brian Kelly: The real reason behind Garrett Nussmeier’s struggle at LSU?
Let’s keep it real—replacing a Heisman quarterback is like stepping into shoes that are already legendary. LSU had to wave goodbye to Jayden Daniels, and not just him—both Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. dipped for the NFL. So basically, they lost their QB1, WR1, and WR2 in one offseason. That’s a hit squad right there. Add in that horror show of defense last year, and Coach Kelly was basically driving a Ferrari with flat tires.
So who’s steering this thing now? Cue Garrett Nussmeier. The junior QB stepped in like he had something to prove—and he did. Nuss posted 4,052 passing yards, dropped 29 TDs, and landed in the top 10 in ESPN’s QB rankings. Sounds like the perfect post-Jayden glow-up, right? Well, not so fast.
Andy Ari from ON3 peeped the same tape we all did and said, “I think Garrett Nussmeier needs, and it’s not something Garrett Nussmeier can control, LSU to not abandon the run game so that it will allow Garrett Nussmeier to be a more efficient quarterback and face defenses that are playing him honestly instead of knowing he’s going to be dropping back to throw and calling plays accordingly. LSU abandoned the run game in critical situations over and over and over again last season…Nussmeier can throw the hell out of the ball, but they don’t need to be a 59% pass team..”
And he’s got a point. LSU straight-up ghosted the run in crunch time last season. That’s a setup. Check the numbers: LSU ranked outside the top 100 in rushing efficiency. Only 43.5% of their runs even cracked 4 yards. Yikes. Their trio of backs—Caden Durham, Kaleb Jackson, and Josh Williams—were barely averaging 2 yards a carry. That ain’t a run game; that’s cardio with helmets. So what’s a gunslinger like Nussmeier supposed to do when defenses know he’s airing it out every snap? The man’s got a cannon, no doubt. But even rockets need launchpads.
And Nussmeier himself? He knows the difference. “Jayden and I are different football players. One of his premier abilities was his ability to run. I’ll run when I need to run, but my goal is not to show everyone how fast I am. When I’m supposed to take off I’ll take off, but if not, I’m going to find the open guy and deliver the football.” The man’s basically, ‘I’m not a runner, I’m a thrower.’
But that also means Brian Kelly and his new OC better start mixing it up. The man needs balance—he can throw bombs, sure, but not if defenses already have their ears pinned back before the snap. It is not just about Nuss being “the guy.” It’s about LSU giving him a system that doesn’t have him playing hero ball 24/7.
And with that $18M fudge? No excuses. LSU built a squad that can go toe-to-toe with anybody. They stacked that D-line added elite receivers, and have the funding to keep the machine humming. Now it’s on Kelly to actually use all that shiny gear right. Because Garrett Nussmeier ain’t Jayden Daniels. He doesn’t have to be. But if LSU wants to sniff the Playoff, they better treat Nuss like the QB he is—not the magician he’s not.
The post Louisiana Reporter Confirms Brian Kelly’s $18M Agenda as Concerning Garrett Nussmeier Stance Revealed appeared first on EssentiallySports.