LSU Baseball Transfer Portal Target, Prized Pitcher Reveals Commitment Decision

Jay Johnson and the National Champion LSU Tigers continue retooling the roster in Baton Rouge this offseason with a focus on attacking the NCAA Transfer Portal.

After taking down the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in the College World Series Finals, Johnson and Co. have placed an emphasis on hitting the free agent market with force.

"If you're a pitcher out there, high school or portal, you should want to come here largely because of Nate [Yeskie]. And Jamie Tutko is our director of pitching development and analytics and has helped take this thing to a new level as well," Johnson said after winning the title.

"We've got it all. We've got it all. I'm just really proud of that side of the ball. We had to elevate the talent in the LSU baseball program on the mound when I took over here. And we have and we've executed it at developing them as good as I ever would have dreamed of or imagined."

Once the Tigers returned to Baton Rouge with hardware, all attention shifted towards a highly-touted transfer pitcher.

Rutgers freshman right-handed pitcher Landon Mack entered the NCAA Transfer Portal in June after one season with the Scarlet Knights.

Mack, one of the top arms available in the free agent market, had multiple programs pursuing his services as it stands. That included the LSU Tigers with Johnson and Co. in pursuit.

Have added LSU to the list of schools in the mix for Landon Mack https://t.co/MACXWTjw07 https://t.co/XQy6WG8XyM
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) June 23, 2025

The talented right-hander rounded out his true freshman campaign with Rutgers after tossing 80.1 innings pitched where he logged 70 strikeouts to 17 walks with a 4.03 ERA.

Now, after a stint in the portal, Mack has revealed a commitment to the Tennessee Volunteers, according to multiple reports on Sunday night.

The righty will head to the Southeastern Conference and join the Volunteers for the 2026 season after committing to Tennessee over LSU and others.

Huge addition for the Vols as they have signed Landon Mack out of the portal per @64Analytics. This past season at Rutgers he held a 4.03 ERA in 80.1 innings pitched with an insane 70/17 K/BB ratio pic.twitter.com/ChN0nmeiR4
— Stephen Schoch (@bigdonkey47) June 30, 2025

The Tigers are up to four commitments as it currently stands with multiple targets remaining on the program's board.

Who's in for Johnson and Co. as it stands?

The Portal Commitments [4]:

No. 1: Brayden Simpson - Infielder

The LSU Tigers landed a commitment from High Point infielder Brayden Simpson in June as the program's first portal addition.

Simpson, one of the top prospects in the NCAA Transfer Portal, is coming off of a career season in North Carolina.

The coveted infielder primarily handled business as a third baseman for High Point this past season where he shined for his Panthers squad.

Simpson had a dominant two-year stretch at High Point with his 2025 campaign quickly putting his name on the map.

He rounded out the season batting .389 with 22 home runs, 77 RBI and a .477 on base percentage this past season.

Simpson is a Swiss Army Knife in the infield and has also spent some time at first base in 2024 and second base in 2023.

In 2024, the talented High Point transfer started in all 62 games where he batted .300 with 12 home runs and 45 RBI. He started in 58 games this year.

No. 2: Seth Dardar - Infielder

Dardar, a Louisiana native, began his career at Columbia prior to making the move to join the Kansas State Wildcats.

During the 2025 season, he logged a team best .326 batting average with 18 doubles and a 1.065 OPS.

A consistent hitter, Dardar tallied 60 hits, 45 RBI and 13 home runs last season for his Wildcats squad.

The New Orleans (La.) Holy Cross standout started in 50 games for Kansas State on his way to becoming a coveted transfer in the portal.

Now, he's made his move. Dardar will head home to suit up for the Bayou Bengals in his final season of eligibility.

No. 3: Danny Lachenmayer - Pitcher [NDSU]

Lachenmayer, a coveted freshman in the NCAA Transfer Portal, selected the National Champion LSU Tigers over the Arkansas Razorbacks after visiting Fayetteville this week.

The talented southpaw was used as a relief option in 2025 for the Bison where he made 24 appearances and recorded nine saves for North Dakota State.

Lachenmayer pitched 38 innings with a 2.37 ERA, 56 strikeouts, 18 walks and a .192 batting average against him during his freshman campaign.

Johnson and Co. have their recruiting caps on this week with the program intensifying its pursuit for multiple top targets in the NCAA Transfer Portal.

No. 4: Ryler Smart - Pitcher [Tennessee]

Smart, a Top-25 rated left-hander in the 2024 Recruiting Cycle, signed with the Volunteers after prepping at Pearland (Tex.).

The 6-foot-4, 236-pounder redshirted during his lone season in Knoxville after recovering from injury.

Smart was rated as the No. 183 overall prospect in the 2024 Recruiting Cycle and the No. 25 left-handed pitcher prior to signing with the Volunteers.

Now, he heads to Baton Rouge after committing to Johnson and Co. following a visit with the program this week.

More LSU News:

LSU Football Wide Receiver Donating NIL Money Back to High School for Title Rings

LSU Football Holds Commitments From a Pair of Top-10 Wide Receivers in America

Brian Kelly's Take: LSU Football Searching for Ideal Starting Offensive Line Rotation

Join the Community:

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU Tigers.