LSU adds former Texas defensive tackle Sydir Mitchell out of the transfer portal

Brian Kelly has LSU football rolling this December, as the Tigers officially landed their 11th transfer portal commitment in former Texas defensive tackle Sydir Mitchell.

LSU football lands transfer portal commitment from 6-foot-6 Texas defensive tackle Sydir Mitchell

It wasn’t long ago that LSU football was looking at their defensive tackle room as one of the weakest groups of the entire roster. As a matter of fact, it was looking that way as recently as just last offseason, when the Tiger football program lost a whopping three players to the 2024 NFL Draft from that group.

Luckily for Brian Kelly, he just so happened to have made the perfect hire to handle a dire situation like that, as he brought in former Texas defensive line coach Bo Davis to handle the defensive interior. The purple and gold would then go on to land a total of five commitments in the class of 2024, and while the group lacked in overall top-end ability, they at the very least had numbers.

Then, when top defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory was officially ruled out for the season with an injury, things only started to look worse, and eyes began shifting towards the 2025 season.

Now, as we have very little to think about aside from the 2025 college football season, and what it might look like, things are starting to take shape for the Tiger defensive interior, and defensive line coach Bo Davis is the exact man to thank for it. Entering the 2025 transfer portal with already four commitments from incoming freshmen, he’s now continued that success into December, most recently landed a commitment from former Longhorn Sydir Mitchell.

BREAKING: Texas transfer DL Sydir Mitchell has Committed to LSU, he tells @On3sports

The 6’6 340 DL will have 3 years of eligibility remaining

Appeared in 8 games for the Longhornshttps://t.co/RlUbB6EMhS pic.twitter.com/yqAv9LraVN

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 20, 2024

Listed at 6-foot-6, 350 pounds, Mitchell possesses the kind of size you simply don’t see in college football. While he doesn’t have the kind of athleticism you might typically want to see at the high Power Four level, his overall strength and hand speed allow him to fill holes with relative ease as a nose tackle, which is more than likely where Tiger fans can expect to see him competing for snaps in 2025.

While the big man out of Patterson, NJ has yet to truly break out at this level, only recording seven total tackles in his first two seasons at Texas, the potential is certainly there, and with a coach such as Bo Davis in charge, he could certainly be a name to watch as we sort out what the position group will look like in the coming years, with three seasons of eligibility remaining.

6’6” and 360 lb freshman nose tackle Sydir Mitchell closes running lanes immediately. pic.twitter.com/LyQU5VVA8F

— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) April 17, 2023

As of right now, the expected LSU defensive line rotation involves key returnees such as senior Jacobian Guillory, as well as true sophomores Ahmad Breaux and Dominick McKinley. However, after those three, experience is at a minimum, which very easily could open the door for a talented transfer addition such as that of Sydir Mitchell.

The Tiger transfer portal class of 2025 is officially up to No. 3 nationally, according to 247Sports, as well as No. 2 in the SEC, with 11 total commitments. While the group as a whole is filled with immediate impact players, the defensive unit in particular has seen some serious improvements, as all five signees could and should compete for starting snaps right away as a part of the purple and gold.

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