LSU will have transfers all over the field in 2026, but most of them will be concentrated on offense — the unit Lane Kiffin overhauled once he began his tenure as head coach.

As for the defense? That side of the ball managed to keep a large chunk of its coaching and roster talent intact during the transition from coach Brian Kelly to Kiffin. Third-year defensive coordinator Blake Baker is back. So, too, are starters Whit Weeks, DJ Pickett, Tamarcus Cooley, PJ Woodland and Dashawn Spears.

Each played a key role on a unit that improved from 61st among FBS teams in total defense in 2024 to 25th in 2025. The group could take another step forward in 2026, especially if a few newcomers step into roles alongside the returners and enjoy productive campaigns for a unit that’s come a long way since its disastrous 2023 season.

“Blake does a great job,” Kiffin said in April. “The players play really hard for him. He’s a great motivator, so I really like that because it creates a competitive atmosphere out there.”

Let’s highlight four transfers expected to play important roles in 2026 as LSU tries to break back into the upper echelon of FBS defenses.

S Ty Benefield

Benefield, a safety from Boise State, was one of the clear standouts of spring practice, and Kiffin said in a recent appearance on Tyrann Mathieu’s podcast that he was “gonna be one of those legends to play here.”

That’s lofty praise for Benefield, the former All-Mountain West Conference senior who’s expected to man one of LSU’s starting safety spots.

“He’s wired right,” Kiffin told Mathieu. “Unbelievable range, great ball skills. I’m like, ‘You gotta get him up here to meet you,’ just to connect it. Like, you’re gonna be (one of) these iconic names, hopefully.”

Benefield started at safety next to Cooley in spring practices, but he also could spend some time at the Star spot — the hybrid defensive back-linebacker position that Spears, a junior, played throughout those sessions.

At Boise State, Benefield excelled around the line of scrimmage. He recorded 8.5 tackles for loss last season, which led all Mountain West defensive backs.

DE Princewill Umanmielen

It’s no secret that Baker wants his defenses to create havoc. It’s just difficult to accomplish that goal consistently without a capable four-man pass rush.

That’s why Umanmielen was one of LSU’s most important signings during the transfer-portal cycle. At Ole Miss in 2025, he recorded nine sacks and 51 pressures — almost as many as the Tigers’ top two edge rushers combined last year (61). Only two SEC defenders brought down opposing quarterbacks more times than he did.

Expect Umanmielen and the rest of the LSU defensive linemen to be more disruptive than they were in 2025. The group has a nice mix of proven veterans and promising young players.

“We’re a very versatile room,” Umanmielen said during spring practices in April. “Lot of different guys, lot of different aspects of different games that you can put on the field when it comes to us. I like our room a lot.”

DE Jordan Ross

LSU already had a key role planned for Ross even before redshirt sophomore Gabe Reliford tore his ACL during spring practices, forcing the Tigers to move the Tennessee transfer into an even more prominent position.

Now Ross is expected to start at edge rusher opposite Umanmielen. He’ll likely play more snaps than he did in 2025, when he rotated onto the Tennessee defensive line behind four other pass rushers.

Five-star freshman Lamar Brown could push Ross for snaps, but it looks like the 6-foot-5, 246-pound junior has an opportunity to enjoy a career year anyway. He’s always had potential. Ross was one of the 25 most highly rated players in his high school signing class, according to 247Sports composite rankings.

LB TJ Dottery

Dottery was the leading tackler in the SEC at Ole Miss in 2025. Now he’s expected to start at linebacker next to Weeks to form what has the potential to be a dangerous pairing at the second level of the LSU defense.

There are areas in which Dottery can improve. According to Pro Football Focus, the fifth-year senior missed 16 tackles last season, which was the fourth-most among SEC linebackers who played more than 500 snaps.

But the Tigers were looking for an experienced, reliable veteran to replace West Weeks, and they got that in Dottery — a proven SEC defender who’s started 27 games across the last two years.

247Sports said Dottery was one of the 15 best linebackers to enter the transfer portal.