LSU Bolsters Secondary with Top Transfer Safety A.J. Haulcy
With two of their top safeties gone—Major Burns signing with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent and Sage Ryan transferring to Ole Miss—plus projected starter Jardin Gilbert sidelined this spring due to shoulder surgery, LSU found itself thin at the safety position heading into 2025.
To address the need, the Tigers looked to the spring transfer portal and landed one of the top available defenders: A.J. Haulcy, a former standout at both New Mexico and Houston. ESPN’s Pete Thamel confirmed Haulcy’s commitment to LSU over Miami. The veteran safety has one year of eligibility remaining and was widely regarded as the best defensive player in the portal.
Haulcy began his college career at New Mexico before transferring to Houston in 2023. Across his two seasons with the Cougars, he totaled 172 tackles, one tackle for loss, five interceptions, and 12 pass breakups in 24 games. His breakout junior year included 74 tackles, five interceptions, and eight pass deflections in 12 games, earning him First-Team All-Big 12 honors.
According to Pro Football Focus, Haulcy allowed just a 61.5% completion rate, 159 passing yards, two touchdowns, and a 64.9 passer rating in coverage last season—numbers that underscore his ability to immediately upgrade LSU’s defensive backfield.
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