A former four-star recruit and Baton Rouge native is expected to depart LSU and enter the portal

LSU redshirt freshman wide receiver Shelton Sampson has decided to enter the transfer portal, he announced Thursday in a social media post.

Sampson, a Baton Rouge native who went to Catholic High, did not have a catch in two seasons with the Tigers. He has played in 11 career games with one start.

There were high expectations for Sampson when he signed as a four-star recruit and top 100 prospect in the 2023 class. But the 6-foot-4 Sampson never became one of LSU’s primary receivers.

Sampson is the third LSU receiver to decide to enter the transfer portal after redshirt sophomore Landon Ibieta and fifth-year senior CJ Daniels. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.

The transfer portal opens Dec. 9-28, and LSU is expected to look for wide receiver. It will also lose senior Kyren Lacy this offseason, so the Tigers will only bring back two receivers who had more than five catches this season in redshirt sophomore Aaron Anderson and junior Zavion Thomas.