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Charlotte transfer RB Rod Gainey Jr. commits to LSU

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby: Grant Grubbs01/06/26grant_grubbs_

Former Charlotte running back Rod Gainey Jr. has committed to LSU, via the NCAA Transfer Portal, On3 has learned. Gainey spent two seasons with the 49ers.

In the 2025 campaign, Gainey made 11 appearances for Charlotte. He recorded a career-high 260 yards and a touchdown on 74 carries. Additionally, he notched 16 catches for 44 yards.

As a true freshman in 2024, Gainey only played in two games. He logged 34 rushing yards on 10 carries. At the time of his commitment to LSU, Gainey was unranked in On3’s 2026 Transfer Portal Player Rankings.

Rod Gainey Jr. played high school football at Tampa Bay Tech (FL), where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 907 overall player and No. 71 running back in the 2024 recruiting cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.

Gainey is the seventh player LSU has added via the transfer portal this offseason. He isn’t the Tigers’ only addition in the running back room. The team also reeled in a commitment from Utah transfer RB Raycine Guillory.

LSU is entering a new era after hiring Lane Kiffin to be its head coach in November. Kiffin signed a seven-year, $91 million deal with LSU. The 50-year-old HC has high hopes for his tenure at LSU.

“This place is built for championships with championship expectations. We understand that, but as an elite competitor, that’s exactly what you want, and that’s why we’re here,” Kiffin said at his introductory press conference. “… I know that we have—with the passion of LSU family and our LSU players—that we have everything to bring championship football back to LSU.

“It’s time for LSU to take its place back as the best program in all of college football. … I’m uniquely prepared at 50 years old for this job to have been so many places, done good things, made a lot of mistakes and made them really early on.”

LSU is the fifth program where Kiffin has been the head coach. He guided Ole Miss to its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance this season, but the Rebels’ administration didn’t allow Kiffin to coach the team in the postseason after he accepted LSU’s offer.

Now, Kiffin will look to lead the Tigers to similar success. LSU hasn’t been to the CFP since 2019, when Ed Oregon led the program to a national title.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.