LSU made a late change to its quarterback room this week with news Friday of a new addition and Saturday of a departure.
Middle Tennessee State transfer Kaden Martin will join the program, multiple outlets reported Friday, filling a roster spot being vacated by walk-on Emile Picarella III, the former University Lab quarterback.
Martin is a 5-foot-11, 230-pound former three-star prospect and the son of new LSU offensive analyst Tee Martin, who led Tennessee to the 1998 national championship before a six-year professional career in multiple leagues and now two decades of coaching experience.
The younger Martin played in two baseball games as a freshman at Miami in 2022 before spending a redshirt freshman season at East Tennessee State in 2023 and the past two years at Middle Tennessee State.
Picarella, also a former three-star prospect, was slated as the lone returning member of an entirely reworked quarterback room under new coach Lane Kiffin, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. and quarterbacks coach Dane Stevens in their arrival this offseason from Ole Miss.
Two-year starter Garrett Nussmeier completed his eligibility and headed to the NFL.
Michael Van Buren, who started eight games this fall in place of an injured Nussmeier, transferred to USF after one season in Baton Rouge.
And former four-star signee Colin Hurley, who spent two years in purple and gold, transferred to Michigan, but was reported by Wolverines beat writers in March as no longer on the program’s roster.
Kiffin and company responded with a transfer portal haul of Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt, USC’s Husan Longstreet and Elon’s Landen Clark.
And, this week, they appear to have made one more tweak to finalize the group heading into the first season under the new staff.
Matt Moscona of local ESPN 104.5 Baton Rouge was the first to report the news of Picarella’s departure.
Picarella announced Sunday he would return to Mississippi, where he grew up and began his high school career, and join Delta State.
“I made the decision to step away and bet on myself,” the quarterback posted via Twitter. “Back to the SIP. Officially committed to Delta State to continue my academic and football career… DIFFERENT path — SAME goal — READY To earn everything coming next.”