LSU football is loaded with talent. Brian Kelly and the Tigers
signed the top-ranked transfer portal class, returned key contributors, and signed a top-10 rated high school class. The expectation is a playoff appearance, maybe more. There's star potential throughout this roster. On offense and defense, from the trenches to the skill positions. Today, we'll take a stab at predicting the top 15 players on the 2025 LSU football team. These aren't the 15 best players entering the season, rather, the list is intended to project who will make the biggest impact this fall. Some of the names here are already proven while others are expected to break out. It's a transfer heavy group with several of LSU's top contributors expected to be portal additions. LSU doesn't have a ton of established stars, but the roster is deep. A handful of players could be All-SEC by December. Here are the 15 guys who will make a massive difference for LSU this fall.
15. Ashton Stamps, CB
Stamps arrived at LSU in 2023. He was a three-star recruit and flew under the radar, but not for long. Stamps made a quick impression on the LSU coaching staff and played his way into the lineup as a true freshman. But Stamps struggled along with the entire defense as a freshman. In Stamps' sophomore campaign, he took a big step. Stamps forced 10 incompletions, ranking No. 4 among SEC cornerbacks. According to PFF, Stamps posted a 72.0 coverage grade in man, ranking top-10 among SEC corners. There were times when offenses still picked on Stamps, but its hard to complain about the progress he made. Stamps is a veteran now, and fans should expect yet another step in 2025. The competition will be strong in LSU's secondary, but Stamps has the tools and experience to earn a starting spot.
14. Weston Davis, RT
Davis, by far, has less experience than any other player on this list. He signed with LSU in 2024 and saw very limited action as a true freshman, playing just 20 snaps. Only two of those snaps came when the game was still in question as Davis saw action as part of LSU's goal line package in the bowl game. LSU entered spring needing to replace four starters on the offensive line, including both tackle spots. Davis emerged as LSU's top candidate at right tackle. Davis was a five-star recruit, according to On3, and is prime for a breakout in 2025. Even when Northwestern transfer Josh Thompson arrived on campus, LSU stuck with Davis at right tackle. That signals the confidence LSU has in the young offensive lineman.
13. Jack Pyburn, DE
After losing Bradyn Swinson and Sai'Vion Jones to the NFL, LSU had a hole at defensive end. Landing experienced edge defenders become a top priority for LSU in the transfer portal. The Tigers
got that with former Florida DE Jack Pyburn. Pyburn brings SEC experience to LSU's defense after making 29 tackles and 13 stops with Florida in 2024. According to PFF, Pyburn was a top-15 graded SEC defensive end against the run. LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker likes Pyburn as a pass rusher, too. "I think he's an underrated pass rusher. I really do. When you go back and watch the tape, he's slippery in pass rush. He's got some quick twitch," Baker said. If Pyburn's step forward as a pass rusher is real, LSU has a complete defensive end.
12. TaMarcus Cooley, DB
LSU needed to add experience and versatility to the backend of its defense. The Tigers got both with former NC State defensive back TaMarcus Cooley. Cooley's seven pass breakups led ACC safeties in 2024 and his 20% forced incompletion rate ranked No. 8. He picked off three passes and forced two fumbles. Cooley played deep and was physical enough to play in the box. There wasn't much he didn't do. He even added two sacks. Cooley can play both safety spots and the nickel position in Baker's defense.
11. Tyree Adams, OL
Weston Davis won't be the only LSU offensive lineman to enjoy a breakout in 2025. Davis' tackle counterpart Tyree Adams is in store for a big year, too. Davis will be a redshirt sophomore in 2025. He was a four-star recruit who didn't play much as a true freshman in 2023, but entered the rotation in 2024. Adams saw work at guard during the regular season before taking over LSU's left tackle role in the bowl win. Adams was the favorite to win LSU's left tackle competition entering the spring and Adams emerged as the clear candidate to be LSU's left tackle this fall. Adams took the majority of first-team reps without seeing much of a challenge. That's a strong indicator for Adams' development.
10. Braelin Moore, OL
Not only did LSU need to replace both tackles, but LSU lost significant production on the interior offensive line with Miles Frazier and Garrett Dellinger moving on. LSU hit the transfer portal looking for quality and experience and landed Braelin Moore from Virginia Tech. Moore posted a 69.9 PFF grade in 2025, ranking 25th of 111 qualified ACC linemen. LSU's offensive line struggled to establish the run last year. Moore should help in that department after he was one of the ACC's most effective run blockers. Moore has experience at guard and center and didn't allow a single sack when playing at guard in 2023. With 1,422 career snaps, Moore is one of the most experienced players on LSU's offense.
9. Dominick McKinley, DT
McKinley is one of the most talented players on the LSU roster and was the Tigers' top recruit in the 2024 class. Its tough to make an immediate impact as a true freshman at defensive tackle, but McKinley was a key piece of LSU's defensive front. It took the Louisiana native a moment to see the field because he wasn't an early enrollee, and he dealt with an injury in fall camp. But once McKinley got rolling, he was a constant for LSU. McKinley finished the year with three sacks and six stops. In LSU's final regular-season game vs. Oklahoma, McKinley dominated the Sooners' offensive line. After the game, Brian Kelly called McKinley "unblockable." Defensive tackle is a position where certain traits are needed to play at an elite level. There's a combination of size and athleticism that can't be coached -- McKinley has it.
8. Josh Thompson, OL
Along with Moore, Thompson was the other veteran addition to LSU's offensive line. With Northwestern, Thompson saw time at tackle and guard. If Adams and Davis workout at the tackle spots, Thompson will man a guard spot at LSU. "He's smart, he's physical, and he brings us an experienced offensive lineman," Kelly said when speaking on Thompson in the spring. Thompson posted an elite pass-blocking efficiency number in 2024 and did not allow a sack. He was an effective run blocker, too. Its hard to find proven linemen with Power Two experience in the transfer portal, but LSU got one with Thompson.
7. Mansoor Delane, CB
LSU lost veteran cornerback Zy Alexander to the NFL, but added another proven vet with the transfer addition of Mansoor Delane from Virginia Tech. Per PFF, Delane allowed a completion percentage of just 47.2% in 2024, which ranked No. 7 among ACC cornerbacks. In three years with the Hokies, he made 29 starts and appeared in 33 games. He was selected as third-team All-ACC in 2024. In his career, Delane has 11 pass breakups and six picks. Delane makes the top 10 due to how much LSU needed an established corner in the secondary. After years of inconsistent play on the backend, this is the most talented secondary of the Brian Kelly era.
6. Barion Brown, WR
In three years at Kentucky, Brown proved to be one of the SEC's most dynamic playmakers. He's one of the fastest players in the country, can line up on the outside, can play in the slot, and make a difference on special teams. Kentucky's offense struggled in 2024 and Brown's numbers took a step back from where they were in 2023, but its hard to blame Brown with the situation Kentucky had at quarterback. In 2023, Brown was one of the SEC's best receivers vs. man coverage, averaging 2.35 yards per route run in man. Brown racked up 1,531 yards with Kentucky. His best year came in 2022, with 625 yards.
5. Patrick Payton, DE
According to 247Sports, Payton is the No. 7 overall player in the 2025 transfer portal. Only Damon Wilson II ranked higher among transfer defensive ends. Payton hails from Florida State, where he played 1,568 snaps in four years with the Seminoles. Given LSU's lack of experience at defensive end, that's exactly what the Tigers were looking for. Payton has 90 career pressures to go along with 14 sacks, per PFF. He was a member of FSU's elite defense in 2023, posting 44 pressures and seven sacks while making 28 stops. Payton didn't match those numbers in 2024 as the entire Florida State unit struggled, but he still managed four sacks and 22 stops. Payton is talented and has experience. His 2025 ceiling is one of the highest on the LSU defense.
4. Caden Durham, RB
LSU's run game struggled in 2024, but a positive development was the emergence of true freshman running back Caden Durham. In 168 touches, Durham surpassed the 1,000 yard mark and scored eight times. Durham's 3.48 average yards after contact ranked top-10 among SEC backs, and Durham didn't fumble once. Durham posted two 100-yard games, eclipsing the mark vs. Arkansas and South Alabama. As a recruit, Durham was the No. 5-ranked running back in his class, making him an elite talent. Durham wasn't completely healthy in 2024 and put up big numbers despite a toe that bothered him for much of the year. A healthy Durham paired with an improved LSU offense will lead to a big year for the sophomore.
3. Whit Weeks, LB
Weeks flashed as a true freshman in 2023, but enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024. Weeks was one of the SEC's most productive defenders, ranking second among SEC linebackers in pressures and stops. A bowl game injury cost Weeks spring practice, but he's expected to be healthy when LSU begins fall camp. The talent is there, the production is there, and Weeks was recently mocked as a first-round pick in Dane Brugler's first 2026 mock draft. Look for the LSU star to build on his 2024 with an even bigger year in 2025.
2. Aaron Anderson, WR
LSU is losing four of its five leading receivers from the 2024 squad, but the leading receiver is back with Aaron Anderson returning. Anderson signed with Alabama as a five-star recruit in 2022. But after just one year with the Crimson Tide, Anderson transferred to LSU. Anderson didn't see much action in 2023 in a stacked wide receiver room, but he made the most of his chance in 2024. Anderson racked up 61 catches for 884 yards and five touchdowns. He was efficient too, averaging 2.28 yards per route run. Anderson is dynamic with the ball in his hands, averaging 7.5 yards after the catch and forcing 20 missed tackles. 89.4% of Anderson's snaps came in the slot, but he's still one of the most impactful pass catchers in the SEC.
1. Garrett Nussmeier, QB
This wasn't a hard choice -- Garrett Nussmeier gets the top spot. LSU's quarterback is one of the favorites for the Heisman Trophy and in the conversation to be the No. 1 overall pick in 2026. Nussmeier played at an elite level down the stretch in 2024 as he led LSU on a three-game winning streak to close the season. Few passers can equal Nussmeier's arm talent and the mental part of the game is starting to click, too. Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels both had huge breakout seasons as fifth-year LSU quarterbacks. Nussmeier is looking to accomplish a similar feat. If LSU is going to compete for a national title this fall, it starts with Nussmeier.
