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#1 STOPS FOR CHAMPIONSHIP MENTALITY APPAREL
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
His critics all said he'd "never pay for players"....
In fact, he said he'd "never pay for players", but now, LSU's 40 year veteran Head Coach Brian Kelly isn't merely leaning on the new era of college football, he's reinventing the game, becoming the first Head Coach of the NIL era to literally put his actual "money where his mouth is"....
....as he calls on big money donors to contribute to LSU's burgeoning collective, Bayou Traditions, Kelly also expects the same from his own $100,000,000 war chest, forking over large sums from his massive contract & matching each million dollar limit out of his own bank account.
A stunning, startlingly effective investment back into his own program, for the state-funded university that gave Coach Kelly the faith of a 10 year contract...
A call to arms, so to speak....
Some detractors mused on about LSU's boosters being "so cheap even Kelly had to pay up to grease the wheels", however they're not only wrong (from 2005 to 2022, LSU was 4th in the SEC for bringing in revenue, according to 247 Sports and currently ranks 7th nationally), these criticisms miss the point:
What we have here is a Head Coach, a man who's received relentless criticism for "not jumping in the foxhole" throughout his career, who's been called "disconnected" or "out of touch" in the context of the modern college football landscape by his biggest haters, and yet here he is...the first Head Coach who is willing to lead by example with millions of his own money.....an act unheard of in college football........but why?
Not only is Coach Kelly's "Million Dollar Match Challenge" aiming to ignite big money booster donations (it's already working), Kelly's bold financial commitment stands as prime proof the Irish Tiger is willing to do damn near anything to add a National Championship to his nearly complete resume....and Kelly's newfound cold blooded, exacting mentality, when it concerns the transfer portal & NIL (arming Austin Thomas with everything he needs), is already starting to pay major dividends during the early weeks of the transfer window.
Attracting nearly every elite portal target for campus visits, Kelly's LSU staff are beginning to showcase the heft of their financial might (a major assist by Austin Thomas) alongside their firmly established NFL development track record (Corey Raymond = Stingley, White, Fulton, Adams), Joe Sloan = JD5 & Nuss, Brad Davis = Will Campbell & Emery Jones Jr, Kevin Peoples = Bradyn Swinson, Frank Wilson = Fournette etc, Cortez Hankton = Malik Nabers & Brian Thomas Jr)...
We already knew this All-Star staff could out-recruit most any other program in the country, they've proven it time & time again w/ 4 straight top 5 classes, a #1 class in 2025 for nearly 9 months, continuing to do battle on frontiers & for prospects the Tigers traditionally had no chance at competing for, let alone signing....however, now the missing link is falling in place: showing prospects the broad, next level branding, marketing, and financial powers that have been at work behind the scenes at LSU for some time now....
Finally, after 3 years, when the Bryce Underwood signing fell through at the last financial hurdle, many had enough of LSU losing in the NIL game....but instead of moaning, fans, boosters, and even Kelly himself acted.
NILSU recently received full funding, equipped to its apex potential as a talent gathering machine....and LSU fans, who participated with their own increased financial commitments, are already starting to see the new direction take promising shape.
LSU's 2025 roster is in dire need of retooling, both in the starting and depth departments. Intent on not repeating transfer mistakes of the past, Kelly's Tigers are searching for multiple productive portal prospects at damn near every position.
So far, Kelly, Austin Thomas & Bayou Traditions are making a solid starting dent:
Kelly & Sloan thought about the future and present when they secured former Mississippi State QB Michael Van Buren, adding key cornerback depth (former Florida CB Jakheem Jackson & wantaway Virginia Tech corner Mansoor Delane) to buoy Corey Raymond's slim room, securing two freakish, SEC-proven edge rushers in Jack Pyburn & Jamari Butler to make up for the loss of Bradyn Swinson & Saivion Jones, while the post-Mason Taylor era will begin with the arrival of Bauer Sharp from Oklahoma, and former Kentucky Wildcat WR Barion Brown is an exciting, possibly game-changing playmaker out wide.
LSU will look to add further attacking weapons for their returning QB Garrett Nussmeier, as well as hunting for coverage at safety, defensive tackle, and of significant importance, retooling an offensive line that just lost 4 of their 5 starters to the NFL Draft.
It's going to be an exhaustive, intensive, yet exhilarating search for the next great Tigers over the coming month and a half, and LSU Head Coach Brian Kelly isn't just saying all the right things to win over fan confidence in his quest....he's doing them...
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
©️ 2024 Uninterrupted Writings Inc
Great start! There is still a need for around five or six additional impact players. I think they will keep the pressure on.