Lane Kiffin and LSU are not done yet after former Notre Dame defensive end Junior Tuihalamaka transferred to LSU on Friday night. The commitment came as a huge surprise with just two weeks until the season opener on September 5th.
Tuihalamaka’s college career looked to be finished after the 2025 season, but that changed when a Louisiana state court judge granted a temporary restraining order to 16 players from the 2022 class, opening a short transfer portal window and handing each of them a fifth year of eligibility. Tuihalamaka entered the portal on Thursday and already had a new home the next day.
The 6’2, 255 pound defensive end comes to LSU with 61 total tackles, 4 sacks, 2 fumbles recovered and 1 interception in 54 games (4 seasons at Notre Dame). He had just 7 starts in his college football career.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman confirmed just hours before Tuihalamaka’s transfer to LSU that the Irish would not be bringing him back due to the timing of the ruling. With classes starting Monday, Freeman said there wasn’t a realistic path to get him enrolled and set up for success in the classroom and on the field, making Tuihalamaka a free agent essentially. LSU made sure that they moved quickly to close the deal.
Although his numbers don’t jump off a stat sheet, Tuihalamaka comes in with reps in four College Football Playoff games including a national title game start against Ohio State, giving him an edge in experience compared to other prospects. That kind of big-game experience matters for a Tigers defense that’s still finding its identity under a new coaching staff.
LSU had already revamped its edge room this offseason, adding Ole Miss transfer Princewill Umanmielen and Tennessee transfer Jordan Ross alongside five-star freshman Lamar Brown. The group took a hit in the spring when redshirt sophomore Gabe Reliford went down with a season-ending torn ACL, so the new addition is huge for the Tigers. Many fans assumed the Tigers would pursue a reunion with former LSU edge Jack Pyburn, another player who gained eligibility through the same court ruling. Kiffin’s staff proceeded with Tuihalamaka instead, adding proven depth without waiting on Pyburn’s NFL camp situation to play out.
As the season opener approaches quickly, Tuihalamaka won’t have much time to acclimate with the team, but a veteran with experience in the college football playoffs gives the Tigers another option as they round out the defensive front.
— Eric Palmer, TigerSources