The rich keep getting richer for Brian Kelly and company as he officially announced on Thursday three new additions from the transfer portal. The three players that have been added are: cornerback JK Johnson, jack linebacker, Ovie Oghoufo and cornerback Darian Chestnut. According to LSUsports, all three players will enroll at LSU for the spring semester. The Tigers 2023 roster now includes 10 transfers along with its 24 freshman from the 2023 recruiting class. Get to know the new Tigers that will be sporting the purple and gold next fall:
Cornerback, JK Johnson, Ohio State Transfer:
JK Johnson was a member of the 2021 recruiting class for Ohio State and he was a four-star prospect coming out of high school. Johnson spent the first two seasons with the Buckeyes, but didn’t see much game action during his tenure. The St. Louis, Missouri, native spent the 2021 working on a rehab assignment before stepping on the field in the Buckeyes win against Akron in that season. During the 2022 season, Johnson recorded 20 tackles in 13 games for Ohio State.
He would have see limited action continuing into the 2022 season where he picked up three solo tackles against Arkansas State. Johnson does have ties with the Tigers as LSU cornerbacks coach, Robert Steeples, coached him while he was at DeSmet High School. Along with coach Steeples, Johnson played with current Tiger defensive lineman, Mekhi Wingo.
Johnson will provide depth to a secondary that is losing Jarrick Bernard-Converse, Mekhi Garner and Jay Ward to the 2023 NFL Draft. The St. Louis native will look to bring upside to LSU’s defense as he becomes the fourth cornerback transfer to join the program.
Jack Linebacker, Ovie Oghoufo, Texas Transfer:
Ovie Oghoufo started his collegiate career at Notre Dame before transferring to Texas before the 2021 season. During his tenure with the Fighting Irish, Oghoufo recorded 22 total tackles, 2.5 sacks and three pass breakups.
He would join the Longhorns for the 2021 season where he would mainly play on the edge on the defensive line. Oghoufo would have an instant impact for Texas’ defense as he finished the year with 42 tackles (21 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two quarterback hurries and two pass breakups. He would earn honorable mention Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2021 for his performance on the field.
The Lathrup Village, Michigan, native would continue that momentum into the 2022 season where he would post 54 tackles (20 solo), 8.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, four quarterback hurries and three pass breakups. Edge rusher was a need after losing BJ Ojulari to the NFL Draft. Also the Tigers lost Zavier Carter and Desmond Little to the transfer portal.
Cornerback, Darian Chestnut, Syracuse Transfer:
Darian Chestnut was ranked as one of the top-25 cornerbacks in his recruiting class before committing to Syracuse. Chestnut would receive a lot of hype before his freshman season in 2021. He would be named a Freshman All-American by ESPN, FWAA, Pro Football Focus and 247Sports.
The Camden, New Jersey, native would start all 12 games at cornerback for the Orange during his freshman campaign. He would go on to lead Syracuse with three interceptions. To add to that, Chestnut racked up 43 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions and eight pass breakups. He would go on to be one of the best freshman cornerbacks in the nation.
The star cornerback would continue to be a focal point for the Syracuse defense during the 2022 season. Through two seasons with Syracuse, Chestnut would tally four interceptions, one touchdown, 83 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and nine pass breakups in 24 collegiate games. Along with Johnson, Chestnut will be a viable piece in rebuilding the LSU secondary that lost some key players in the offseason. LSU was able to land one of the highly coveted prospects in the transfer portal.
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