By Hunt Palmer
LSU blitzed the transfer portal in December and totally reshaped the 2025 roster. It’s all part of a program shift toward NIL and portal additions.
In this series, we’re going to look at all of the transfers Brian Kelly and his staff brought in to assess where they fit and what our projections are for them in 2025 and beyond.
Next up is Destyn Hill, the wide receiver transfer from Florida State.
WHAT WE KNOW: We don’t know much.
Hill was a highly-touted recruit in the 2021 class coming out of Edka Karr. He was a Top 5 player in the state by 247sports and ESPN after helping Karr to the Superdome in back-to-back seasons, winning the title as a junior.
He signed with Florida State over Alabama and Arkansas according to 247. At that point he spent two seasons away from the game and out of school.
When he returned, he actually got to the field in 2023. He played in 10 games for an unbeaten Florida State team, starting two. He made six catches for 87 yards. In the spring of 2024, he suffered an injury that kept him out for the entire season.
So, he’s played 10 games in four years now.
Hill Stands 6-foot and weighs in just below 200 lbs. He was very productive in a great high school football environment and hasn’t played much football since.
THE FIT: To me, Hill is an insurance policy. As of December 1, this LSU wide receiver group was in desperate need of talent. Aaron Anderson, another Karr Cougar, had a great season. Zavion Thomas plays a similar game. Chris Hilton has a ton of speed but hasn’t been on the field much. And that was pretty much it outside of an injured Kyle Parker and a trio of true freshmen who didn’t play in 2024.
Barion Brown comes in as a productive SEC player. Nic Anderson comes in with massive potential. Hill, to me, is a player coming home for a last chance. Clearly, he has a talented past. The recruiting services think so. Florida State’s staff thinks so. Now LSU’s staff is willing to give him a spot.
It feels like he’s looking up on the depth chart at Brown, N. Anderson, A. Anderson, Hilton, Parker and potentially Trey’Dez Green. But, as we know, injuries happen.
HUNT’S PROJECTION: I’m going to be pretty conservative here. Hill feels like a longshot to catch 50 balls for 615 yards and four scores. I probably would have said the same thing about A. Anderson six months ago, and he had a fantastic season.
Hill does have more eligibility remaining, and he stated clearly when he committed to LSU that he had every intention of making it to the NFL. It took Anderson a year to adjust and break out. You certainly can’t rule that out here.
More talent is never a bad thing, so good on LSU for bringing Hill home. It’s a “prove it” situation considering the talent around Hill.
It’s a big spring and summer for him.
