"That's a weakness within our program": LSU HC Brian Kelly speaks on Tigers' woes ahead of new season

LSU football coach Brian Kelly said on Wednesday that there's a "weakness" within the program that could present major problems.

Kelly talked about the team's plans to shore up its defensive line for the upcoming season:

"It's the one area that, you know, you hate to be in the transfer portal for those reasons, but that's a weakness within our program, and we have to address it right now with the portal.

"And (with) the transfer portal is ... the one positive thing is that we can make that correction in our program right now, and we're hard at it. And to have a guy like (defensive line coach) Bo Davis and (edge rushers coach) Kevin Peoples who are so well regarded in this business, quite frankly, it gives us traction with the best in the portal.

"So, we're making progress there. We'll be able to address our needs there, and that's going to strengthen us for the fall."

Brian Kelly's Tigers have lost 14 total players to the portal, while only taking in six new transfers (via the LSU Reveille, the school's student newspaper).

Here's a list of who's in and who's out for LSU so far:

OUT

• Laterrance Welch, cornerback: Arizona State
• Duce Chestnut, cornerback: Syracuse
• Denver Harris, cornerback: UTSA
• Jackson McGohan, tight end: Wisconsin
• Quency Wiggins, defensive lineman, Colorado
• Tygee Hill, defensive lineman, Oregon State
• Fitzgerald West, defensive lineman: Louisiana
• Armoni Goodwin, running back: UAB
• Tre Bradford, running back: North Texas
• Logan Diggs, running back: Ole Miss
• Marlon Martinez, offensive lineman: Mississippi State
• Zalance Heard, offensive lineman: Tennessee
• Jalen Brown, wide receiver: Florida State
• Bryce Langston, defensive lineman: FAU

IN

• Jardin Gilbert, safety: Texas A&M
• Zavion Thomas, wide receiver: Mississippi State
• A.J. Swann, quarterback: Vanderbilt
• Austin Ausberry, defensive back: Auburn
• Jyaire Brown, cornerback: Ohio State
• CJ Daniels, wide receiver: Liberty

LSU loses another player to the portal

Former top 15 recruit John Emery Jr. is the latest player to leave LSU and Brian Kelly, with the running back entering the portal as a graduate student on Tuesday (via ESPN).

Academic eligibility issues hampered Emery's career at LSU. He appeared in just seven games last season and will still have one more year of eligibility. That's in line with how much time he's missed in his career. He missed out on all of the 2021 season and early last year due to academics.