Lane Kiffin and LSU slam the door in Tennessee’s face again for one of final high-end transfer portal QB options

Tennessee is about out of potential starting options through the portal after LSU strikes again.

Craig Smith — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer

Jan 14, 2026 12:44 PM EST

The Tennessee Volunteers have, frankly, struck out when trying to land an experienced quarterback option during this transfer portal window. And Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers have been a big part of that happening.

After an extended tour by former Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt that saw him take a two-day visit to Knoxville, Kiffin swooped in — literally and figuratively — to help land the portal’s top-ranked quarterback. It was certainly a blow to Tennessee’s hopes of landing an impact veteran, but the options weren’t gone by then.

Now, with the transfer portal closing in just two days, it appears the last high-end option is off the board, and it’s thanks again to Kiffin and the Tigers. Per ESPN’s Max Olson, USC quarterback Husan Longstreet has signed with LSU.

LSU has signed USC transfer QB Husan Longstreet, ESPN has learned.

Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr. complete their rebuild of the Tigers' QB room with Longstreet, ESPN's No. 44 overall recruit in the 2025 class. pic.twitter.com/UlscCZGbXm
— Max Olson (@max_olson) January 14, 2026

LSU lands third transfer portal quarterback, signing USC QB Husan Longstreet

Longstreet was a big fish in the Trojans’ 2025 recruiting class. He was a five star, the No. 21 overall player, No. 4 quarterback, and No. 2 player in the state of California for the 2025 cycle according to Rivals’ industry rankings. In limited appearances behind incumbent starter Jayden Maiava, he was 13/15 passing for 103 yards and a touchdown.

Longstreet was ranked as the No. 7 and top uncommitted quarterback in the transfer portal, according to On3 Sports/Rivals.

Now, LSU has three transfer quarterbacks this cycle in Leavitt, former Elon QB Landen Clark, and Longstreet. It’s hard to see how Leavitt, who has two years of eligibility remaining, doesn’t win that job, which means Longstreet just went from a backup job to a likely backup job again. At Tennessee, the opportunity to start would have been greater, particularly if Joey Aguilar doesn’t get another year of eligibility.

At this point, Aguilar getting another year, which feels a bit like a long shot at this point, would be the only saving grace for this Tennessee coaching staff. Because Kiffin and the Tigers — who play the Vols in Knoxville on November 21 — have left the cupboard pretty bare in the portal signal caller department.