July 31, 2025: during fall practice at Charles McClendon Practice Facility in Baton Rouge, LA. Michael Bacigalupi
By Hunt Palmer
Between the bowl game and the open of fall camp, LSU welcomed over 40 new players to its 2025 roster.
After a week of fall camp, 16 of them have taken reps with the first team, some more than others.
On one hand, the talent infusion has ramped up expectations and raised the team’s proverbial ceiling. On the other, it’s a team in massive transition with a brutal opener on the horizon.
“We knew we needed some more pieces to help us win,” said senior linebacker West Weeks. “Obviously, getting those guys here was a big deal for us. When they got here, everybody kind of had the same goal. It wasn’t like, alright, these dudes are coming in with this goal. The guys that were already here have these goals. We knew we were coming together as a team, and we knew what our goal was, and that’s the be playing on January 20th, so having that as a common goal has been one of the biggest things to push us through the winter workouts, push us through spring ball and got us through the summer, too.”
Weeks was asked to host three of the potential transfers on their visit to Baton Rouge. He told reporters on Saturday that all three ended up Tigers. That quality time in a whirlwind of a recruiting weekend resulted in some relationships being born for this upcoming season.
Bo Bordelon mentioned paintball games. Tyree Adams spoke about lunches and dinners with teammates. Video game sessions, fishing trips and bowling outings have come up. Plus, Brian Kelly hosts the team at his home with a sizeable swimming pool and basketball goal at the players’ disposal.
The team also enjoyed an outing over the weekend to the Baton Rouge Community Food Bank where they helped move 30,000 pounds of food.
“I think this is a really special group,” Weeks said. “Obviously, we’ve got a lot of talent all over the field, but honestly the biggest thing for me is just the brotherhood we have. I think this is the closest team we’ve ever had. So, when you mix that, the most talented team and the closest team, I think it’s a recipe for something pretty good.”
In the spring, the new players had to find their footing in Baton Rouge. Many of the transfers were brought to LSU to start, but they had to wait their turn.
Braelin Moore started two seasons at Virginia Tech and has worked as the starting center for the first week of fall camp in Baton Rouge. During the spring, he worked with the second unit as DJ Chester ran with the ones.
That’s a difficult place to lead from. Fast forward four months, and Moore is asserting himself freely.
“Just yesterday, Braelin Moore, our energy was low, and he was the one to pick us up,” Adams said. “So really at any point it could be any one of us. I feel like that’s great. We don’t have guys who just follow the line. Anybody and everybody can step up at some point.”
Moore is the centerpiece of the offensive line. Josh Thompson was worked as a starter at right guard. Tight end Bauer Sharp and wide receivers like Barion Brown, Nic Anderson and Destyn Hill may play a huge role on offense. Defensively, Jack Pyburn, AJ Haulcy, Mansoor Delane, Bernard Gooden, Tamarcus Cooley and others have enjoyed great starts to their time at LSU.
Weeks points out that their presence is felt more than just on the practice field for two hours per day.
“When you’re on a team like this at a high level like LSU, it’s kind of been like offensive guys only hang out with offensive guys, defensive guys only hang out with defensive guys,” Weeks said. “This offseason, it’s really just kind of been like everybody together. It doesn’t matter who you are. It doesn’t matter what position. It’s been everybody doing stuff outside the facility. Eating dinner with each other. All that.”
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