2 underrated transfers worth watching this fall

The transfer portal has been a key component of coach Brian Kelly’s rebuilding strategy in Baton Rouge.

In addition to an impressive transition recruiting class, Kelly landed an absolute bounty in the portal this offseason, which should help offset some of the losses from the 10 players selected in the 2022 NFL draft.

A lot of the talk regarding that transfer class has centered around the secondary and players like  Jarrick Bernard-Converse and Joe Foucha. However, On3’s Mike Huguenin recently released his list of 10 SEC transfers who are flying under the radar, and two LSU players made the cut: offensive guard Tre’Mond Shorts and punter Jay Bramblett.

Shorts comes from East Tennessee State, where he started 41 games. He brings a ton of experience to an offensive line that lost four of its five starters from last season and will be looking to players like Shorts for veteran leadership.

The particulars: Transfer from East Tennessee State
The buzz: After redshirting in 2017 as a true freshman, Tre’Mond Shorts became a four-year starter at guard for East Tennessee State. He earned some FSC All-America acclaim in each of the past two seasons and was a two-time first-team All-Southern Conference selection. ETSU has a run-oriented offense, and Shorts (6 feet 4, 326 pounds) is a road-grader in the running game. Shorts almost certainly will start at guard for a Tigers team rebuilding its offensive line. LSU’s run-blocking has been spotty the past two seasons.

Bramblett, meanwhile, followed Kelly from Notre Dame, where he was a three-year starter at punter. The Tuscaloosa native returns to the southeast to finish his college career where he will likely replace outgoing punter Avery Atkins for the Tigers.

The particulars: Transfer from Notre Dame
The buzz: LSU needed a new punter after the graduation of Avery Atkins; enter Jay Bramblett, who followed new coach Brian Kelly from Notre Dame. Bramblett (who is from Tuscaloosa, Ala., by the way) handled punting…