When LSU football faces Ole Miss in Vaught Hemingway Stadium on Sept. 19, the narrative will obviously revolve around Lane Kiffin and his decision to leave Oxford for Baton Rouge. But he will not be the only one who switched crimson and blue with purple and gold, or vice versa. There have been multiple LSU-Ole Miss swaps in the transfer portal, with the latest instance occurring on Saturday. Former Rebels linebacker TJ Dottery is heading to the Tigers, per Hayes Fawcett of Rivals and On3.
Following a productive 2025-26 campaign in which he led LSU with 48 solo tackles, Dottery is now reuniting with Kiffin. The 6-foot-2 native of Montgomery, Alabama began his college career at Clemson (was known as TJ Dudley at the time) before being dismissed in July of 2023 due to a violation of team rules. He played 27 games for Ole Miss over the last two seasons, totaling 10 tackles for loss, three and a half sacks and three forced fumbles during that span.
Dottery ended his Rebels tenure by recording nine solo tackles and a sack in the team's 31-27 loss versus Miami in the College Football Playoff Semifinal. Kiffin clearly believes in his talent. The new Tigers head coach now boasts one of the best linebacker duos in the country, with Dottery joining 2024 First-Team All-SEC selection Whit Weeks.
LSU football had a strong defense last season (19.8 points allowed per game), and although Lane Kiffin is valued for his offensive ingenuity, he seemingly has the players to help the squad remain solid in that area in 2026.
Roster implications aside, a scorching-hot Tigers-Rebels rivalry somehow just went up a notch. Buckle up.
