Jay Johnson gets one of his top recruits to come to College

Tigers head coach Jay Johnson as the LSU Tigers take on the Vanderbilt Commodores at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge LA. Thursday, April 4, 2024.
Tigers head coach Jay Johnson as the LSU Tigers take on the Vanderbilt Commodores at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge LA. Thursday, April 4, 2024. / SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA
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This off-season for the LSU Baseball team has been chaotic just over two weeks after the season ended. Jay Johnson had to replace his recruiting coordinator after Paul Mainieri returned to College Baseball bringing Terry Rooney with him to South Carolina.

Jay Johnson has already gotten to work as the MLB Draft and the Transfer Portal loom large over the roster next season. Johnson has brought in five of the nation's top transfers with a catcher and four high quality pitchers at this point. To this point, Jay Johnson has lost eleven players to the transfer portal urting the overall depth heading into 2025.

Today however brought Jay Johnson one of the biggest wins he could ask for coming into the off-season. Prized recruit Derek Curiel announced he'd forgo the MLB Draft in order to attend LSU in an Instagram post saying the following:

"After talks with my family, advisors, and loved ones I have formally withdrawn my name from the 2024 MLB Draft. I will be enrolling early this summer at LSU. Can't wait to get to work. See you soon Baton Rouge!!! Geaux Tigers."

Derek Curiel

This is a massive win for the LSU Baseball program as Curiel is ranked as a top-ten recruit while MLB Pipeline ranked him as the 117th ranked prospect in this year's draft. Curiel is a left handed batter while playing the outfield, with excellant bat to ball skills. It'll be hard to find playing time early on in a loaded outfield but, this is a massive win for Jay Johnson.

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