LSU just found another way to keep the roster churn going, and this time Lane Kiffin used a Louisiana court ruling to pull in another defensive end.
On Friday afternoon, Notre Dame transfer Junior Tuihalamaka committed to LSU, giving the Tigers another body for a defensive line that has already been turned over plenty this offseason. The move came after a Louisiana judge granted Temporary Restraining Orders to 16 players, allowing them to return to college football and enter the Transfer Portal.
For LSU, the timing fit the way this entire offseason has gone. The Tigers entered the year expected to be a College Football Playoff team, then crashed into a disastrous 2025 season that ended with Brian Kelly being fired. LSU answered by bringing in Lane Kiffin, who left Ole Miss at the end of the regular season and immediately helped reshape the roster in Baton Rouge.
That reshaping has not been subtle. LSU has pulled in a lot of pieces from Ole Miss, and reports have the program spending over $40 million on the team as a whole.
Tuihalamaka became the latest addition after the ruling opened the door for him to pursue a fifth year of college football. Pete Thamel reported the commitment on X, writing: "NEWS: Notre Dame transfer defensive end Junior Tuihalamaka has committed to LSU, per his agent Noah Reisenfeld of 21 Sports & Entertainment. Tuihalamaka is eligible for a fifth year of college football from the state court ruling in Louisiana on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/ILB4hJ1trV"
The addition gives LSU more depth up front after a defensive line overhaul that already included Princewill Umanmielen from Ole Miss, Jordan Ross from Tennessee and a trio of freshmen expected to see plenty of time at defensive tackle.
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman was asked about the possibility of bringing Tuihalamaka back, and he shut that idea down. Freeman said, "It's just too late in the graduate admissions process. And I don't think it would put a person in a good situation this late - school starts… pic.twitter.com/vkQjo52ylo"
The broader mess is still far from settled. Games are set to kick off in less than a week, and the ruling has now put another wave of players into the open market. The NCAA's move to the 5-for-5 eligibility rule has only added to the confusion, and this latest Louisiana decision may not be the last word, with pushback from the NCAA and the SEC still expected on whether these players should be allowed to suit up this season.
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Kinsler arrives from Miami and Curne from LSU as the two transfer additions charged with helping stabilize the front, but Ole Miss still needs to settle which one gives it the better answer on the edge. The Rebels have the kind of returning talent that can make the offense one of the SECs most dangerous units, but only if the protection is there. Week 1 will bring the first real look at whether that right side is ready, or whether this remains the lineups biggest unresolved piece. [Read more 🡒]