Having struggled on defense all year long, LSU landed a major commitment from the transfer portal. Junior defensive end Jack Pyburn will spend his final year of eligibility with the Tigers after three years with Florida.

Pyburn committed to LSU from the transfer portal on Monday, Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports reported. His 60 tackles in 2024 were the second-most of Florida's defense, trailing only Trikweze Bridges' 68. Pyburn also recorded one sack and one interception in his third season.

The athletic edge rusher's inclusion will be a welcome sight for Brian Kelly after the Tigers' defensive woes hampered their 2024 campaign. In 2024, LSU allowed 24 points and 352.5 yards per game, both in the bottom half of the SEC. In each of their four losses, they allowed 27 points or more.

Pyburn will join former Mississippi State quarterback Michael Van Buren and five-star recruit DJ Pickett as incoming players hoping to bring the Tigers back to title contention. However, the team will also lose a significant portion of its current roster, as many of its players enter the transfer portal.

Just a few months ago, LSU had one of the brightest futures despite their disappointing 2024 season. Led by generational talent Bryce Underwood, the Tigers boasted one of the top recruiting classes in the country. That was until Underwood flipped his commitment to Michigan and took a handful of complementary players with him.

LSU to face Baylor in Texas Bowl

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It will not be the College Football Playoffs, but LSU still has a postseason game remaining before they officially begin the 2025 offseason. The Tigers will face Baylor in the Kinder's Texas Bowl on New Year's Eve to close out the year. Both teams bring an 8-4 record into the meeting.

After losing to USC in their season opener, LSU rattled off six straight wins to break into the top 10. However, losing their next three games dropped them down in both the national rankings and SEC standings, leading to a middling finish. The Tigers ended the regular season with consecutive wins over Vanderbilt and Oklahoma but were far from making the conference championship game.

Conversely, Baylor endured a rough 2-4 start to the year and appeared to be on the verge of a lost season before righting the ship. The Bears won all six of their final games to close out the season and make themselves bowl-eligible for the third time in the last four years.

To conclude an up-and-down year for both teams, neither will be ranked entering the Texas Bowl. Despite Baylor's strong end to the year, LSU is currently favored by one point to win the matchup.