LSU football signed the best transfer portal class in the country with new head coach Lane Kiffin leading the way. Among the new additions is former Boise State safety Ty Benefield.
Safety wasn’t a huge position of need when the portal opened, but LSU DC Blake Baker didn’t turn down the opportunity to add impact players. With Benefield, LSU is getting a proven veteran at the FBS level.
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In 2025, LSU had one of the best safeties in the sport with AJ Haulcy patrolling the field. Haulcy could drop into the center of the field, play man coverage, and defend the run near the line of scrimmage. Haulcy is off to the NFL now, and that production needs to be replaced.
LSU returns talented safeties in TaMarcus Cooley and DaShawn Spears. Both are versatile, and the addition of Benefield only adds more flexibility to the group. Let’s take a look at what LSU is getting from the former Boise State safety.
Benefield can play physical football
There are two types of defensive backs — ones who want to hit and ones who shy away from contact. Benefield is firmly one who wants to hit.
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If you had any doubts about whether he can play that brand of football at the Power Four level, look no further than the clip below, when he lowers his shoulder to meet Notre Dame star running back Jeremiyah Love and force the ball free.
Benefield’s 69 tackles in 2025 led all safeties in the Mountain West. Per PFF, he made 141 solo tackles and 53 stops in his time with the Broncos, while forcing two fumbles.
Benefield is versatile
Haulcy’s versatility was valuable to LSU in 2025. Baker could move him all over the field. Benefield offers a similar skillset. Watch the first 30 plays of Boise State’s game vs. Notre Dame, and you’ll see Benefield playing center field, playing the shallow hook zone, and blitzing up the middle.
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Benefield played 355 snaps of man coverage in 2025, which fits right into what Baker wants to do on defense. Having safeties who can play man coverage allows LSU to get creative with blitzes up front.
When Benefield isn’t in coverage, he’ll be a part of those blitzes. He actually played 309 snaps in the box last season, which is more than he played anywhere else on the field. Benefield played 265 snaps at free safety while playing 126 in the slot.
Benefield brings more experience to LSU’s defense
LSU’s defense will be among the most experienced units in the country in 2025 — Benefield is a big part of that. At Boise State, he registered 33 starts and played over 1,800 defensive snaps.
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Benefield has playoff experience, too. In 2024, Benefield and Boise State won the Mountain West and earned the Group of Six playoff invite to the CFP. The Broncos fell short vs. Penn State, but Benefield knows what it’s like to be a part of a winning culture. Having veterans from winning teams can be critical with a first-year head coach.
Benefield is new to LSU, but he’s not new to the sport.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU football: What Ty Benefield brings to the Tigers’ defense
