LSU football loses duo of defensive linemen to transfer portal

LSU football has lost a ton of defensive talent after their National Championship

The LSU Football program is fresh off of a National Championship season, however, their roster from that team is now unrecognizable after they lost a ton of talent to the 2020 NFL Draft. They have also lost their star receiver Ja’Marr Chase to the 2021 NFL Draft after he opted out. In addition to the draft, they have been hemorrhaging defensive talent off of their roster via the transfer portal.

Earlier in the summer, former five-star safety/linebacker hybrid Marcel Brooks opted to enter the transfer portal, eventually landing with the TCU Horned Frogs. Now just today, a couple of projected starting defensive linemen have left Baton Rouge for new homes as well.

TK McLendon has entered the transfer portal and has yet to find a new home, but his running mate Justin Thomas is staying in the south, but moving to Birmingham to play for UAB. The question has to be asked: why are so many players on the defensive side of the ball dipping out of the Bayou?

What LSU Football is losing in Thomas, McLendon

While neither Thomas nor McLendon have a world of experience under their belt at the collegiate level, they were still expected to start for the Tigers in 2020. Now LSU lost not only first rounder K’Lavon Chaisson and third rounder Rashard Lawrence in the 2020 NFL Draft, they now lose their backup as well.

One has to wonder if new defensive coordinator Bo Pelini is rubbing his new player the wrong way, and the players would rather take their services elsewhere. With the season set to start in less than a month, the Tigers are going to have to scramble before the end of September.