LSU football picked up a commitment Sunday from Houston transfer safety AJ Haulcy, his representatives at A&P Sports Agency confirmed, reinforcing the Tigers’ secondary ahead of the 2025 season.
A senior, Haulcy was a first-team All-Big 12 selection last year after posting 74 tackles, five interceptions and 13 passes defended. He entered the NCAA transfer portal earlier this spring and chose LSU over Miami following a campus visit Sunday. He toured Miami earlier in the week—complete with a police escort and a meet-and-greet with rapper Rick Ross—but momentum shifted in Baton Rouge as the week progressed.
According to his agents, Haulcy’s priorities were playing in the SEC, competing for a national title and improving his NFL draft stock. They described LSU’s financial package as “competitive” with other offers but declined to disclose dollar figures.
A Houston native, Haulcy began his college career at New Mexico after signing out of high school as a three-star recruit ranked No. 1,900 nationally by the 247Sports composite. He started nine of 12 games as a freshman before transferring closer to home. Over the past two seasons at Houston, he started all 24 games, led the Cougars with 98 tackles in 2023, and tied for the Big 12 lead with five interceptions in 2024, finishing his career with 259 tackles.
Haulcy becomes the 18th player to transfer to LSU this offseason—the most under coach Brian Kelly in a single year—and joins former NC State defensive back Tamarcus Cooley as the Tigers’ second safety addition. A source familiar with LSU’s plans said the Tigers are done recruiting in the transfer portal.
LSU’s spring portal haul also included former USF tackle Bernard Gooden, giving the Tigers the top transfer class in the nation, according to 247Sports, after briefly falling behind Texas Tech.
With one year of eligibility remaining, Haulcy will compete for a starting job with Cooley, fifth-year senior Jardin Gilbert, junior Javien Toviano and sophomore Dashawn Spears. Gilbert, who transferred from Texas A&M, started nine games last season but sat out spring drills while recovering from shoulder surgery. Cooley and Toviano frequently worked with LSU’s first-team defense in his absence, and Spears, a former top-100 recruit, also saw significant reps.
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