LSU has a lot it can sell interested quarterbacks in the transfer portal. Which is why it was a little unsettling that it took a little longer to get one of those players on board.
But the purple and gold have started to address that crucial spot on the field with the addition of Elon quarterback Landen Clark.
Clark is coming off a redshirt freshman season where he threw for 2,321 yards and 18 touchdowns with eight interceptions but also rushed for 614 yards and 11 additional touchdowns. It was his first meaningful action and will now come to Baton Rouge where there is plenty of opportunity to learn in this room and offense.
This is exactly the type of player that Kiffin has done well with in the past. With the success story of Trinidad Chambliss this past season at Ole Miss, Kiffin and this offense can make that pitch to quarterbacks like Clark that they can be developed quickly in this offense and shine.
Then there’s simply the opportunity that a quarterback like Clark will have in this offense. It’s no secret that the Tigers have gone big game hunting for a starting level passer in the transfer portal. They’ve come up dry to this point but have kept the pedal to the metal on Sam Leavitt and Husan Longstreet. If the purple and gold were to swing that in their favor, Leavitt would still be out for several months due to a lisfranc injury suffered last fall.
If LSU doesn’t land Leavitt or Longstreet, a lot of those big swing options are unclear. It’s possible LSU could just bring in a bunch of different players in that next tier of quarterback and see which one rises to the top. Either way, a player like Clark would get opportunity to run the Kiffin offense. He’s the kind of dual threat option the purple and gold would want running the show.
We’ll see who else LSU brings in but Clark is a player with college experience and one with three years of eligbility who can marinate in this system for a few years.
What are the new transfer rules?
Portal announcements may litter your X and Instagram feeds, but FBS and FCS players can’t officially enter until Jan. 2.
Previously, the portal would open in early December for FBS players over a 30-day period. Now, players can enter from Jan. 2 to 16. The NCAA also eliminated the 15-day spring window. Graduate transfers were previously able to enter the portal whenever they wished through the spring window. Now, they must adhere to the same 15-day window as everyone else.
The rules surrounding a coaching change shifted. Whereas before a coaching departure triggered an immediate 30-day window, now players only get a 15-day window if a new hire happens after Jan. 2. All the changes are designed to limit movement and make the portal cycle more predictable for teams, who previously worked against two negotiating windows in the winter and spring.