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 Braelin Moore, the offensive line transfer from Virginia Tech.
WHAT WE KNOW: LSU’s 2024 offensive line looked just about like LSU’s 2023 offensive line. And the 2023 offensive line looked like the 2022 offensive line. Entering 2025, it was all going to change.
Will Campbell and Emery Jones are early NFL Draft enrollees. Miles Frazier and Garrett Dellinger are out of eligibility. Over three seasons, that quartet played in 156 games and started 143 of them at LSU. That doesn’t even include Frazier’s 22 starts at FIU.
An overhaul like that can’t be done from within in 2025. External help is required.
LSU’s first target to lay the foundation for the 2025 offensive line was Braelin Moore.
Moore played three seasons at Virginia Tech, starting 24 games the last two years in Blacksburg. He’s a sturdy 6-foot-3 and 303 lbs.
In 2023, he was Virginia Tech’s starting left guard. He played all 600 snaps there without allowing a sack according to Pro Football Focus. He was credited with allowing seven hurries.
In 2024, he moved over to center where he played all 741 snaps. On 375 passing attempts, he gave up three sacks.
At center, Pro Football Focus graded Moore a rock solid 76.9 in pass protection and a 67.5 in the running game. Comparatively, LSU’s DJ Chester graded out a 65.6 in pass protection and a 49.6 in the running game.
THE FIT: Moore pretty clearly slots in as LSU’s starting center the second he walks on campus. He doesn’t have to learn to snap the ball like Dellinger and Chester did. He’s got a year of experience doing that.
He’s a fourth-year college player who shouldn’t be overwhelmed by learning a new system and new blocking assignments, especially with a fifth-year quarterback to lean on.
Moore has not been an all-conference player or one pasted near the top of mock drafts. He is a two-year starter in the ACC who figures to be able to provide some stability and consistent play in the middle of LSU’s offensive line.
That allows Chester to move to his more natural guard position to compete with Paul Mubenga, Coen Echols, Bo Bordelon and Josh Thompson. Maybe Tyler Miller and Carius Curne get involved, as well.
It’s a group with a ton of recruiting stars next to its collective names, but there isn’t much proven depth. Moore provides two years of starting experience which is vital to Brad Davis moving these chess pieces around.
HUNT’S PROJECTION: I questioned LSU’s run blocking back in August. That unfortunately came true. This group is going to have to find a way to do a better job in the running game. The hope is that Moore starts that process. He was a better run blocker last season than Chester. And maybe Chester takes some strides in his third college season, this time at a more comfortable position.
I think Moore will be an upgrade a center. It’s the rest of the unit where my concern lies.
Since we’re just talking about Moore here, I think LSU grabbed one of the best center prospects in the portal, and I think he enjoys a very solid 2025 as LSU’s offensive line anchor.
