What Ju'Juan Johnson's Commitment Means For LSU

LSU added one of the top players in Louisiana on Monday after four-star athlete Ju’Juan Johnson announced his commitment to Brian Kelly’s Tigers.

The Louisiana native brings a different element to this 2024 recruiting class, providing this program with a versatile prospect for the future.

Johnson announced his commitment to LSU over Colorado and Florida, among others, as he shuts down his process ahead of his senior year. After backing off of his pledge to Deion Sanders and the Buffs last month, all eyes went towards the Tigers and what could be.

When Johnson committed to Colorado, Kelly and the Tigers never backed off of their recruitment of one of the state’s top players, which ultimately paid off. Now, Johnson is a Tiger as this program secures another Louisiana native for their class.

The 5-foot-11, 178-pound athlete, who is set to play cornerback at the next level, has been on a steady rise throughout high school, but a productive junior campaign saw his recruitment take off.

But what does the Lafayette Christian Academy product give this team? Where does he fit?

A dive into what Johnson's commitment means for LSU:

Elite Athleticism

Johnson is a do-it-all athlete. Despite being listed as an athlete, the Tiger pledge will play cornerback for the Tigers once he arrives in Baton Rouge. He’s played both sides of the ball during his high school career (quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back), but he knows where he fits at the next level and that’s at corner.

During his junior campaign, Johnson went on to show out for the Knights by passing for 3,976 yards and 43 touchdowns while rushing for 1,284 yards and 17 additional scores. He proved he can do everything that’s asked of him.

For now, he’s locking in on the cornerback position and how he can continue the “DBU” tradition in Death Valley.

Brian Kelly continues locking down the state of Louisiana after the addition of 4-star ATH Ju’Juan Johnson.#LSU has four of the state’s Top 10 prospects committed:
4 ⭐️ TE Trey’Dez Green
4 ⭐️ S Dashawn McBryde
4 ⭐️ LB Kolaj Cobbins
4 ⭐️ ATH Ju’Juan Johnson

Not done yet. pic.twitter.com/UakcVzMd4h
— Zack Nagy (@znagy20) May 16, 2023

Keeping The Best In The Boot

LSU now has four of the top 10 players in the state of Louisiana committed. Brian Kelly has done a superb job of locking down the state on the recruiting trail as he keeps the best players close to home.

Along with Johnson, notable pledges include four-star tight end Trey’Dez Green, four-star safety Dashawn McBryde and four-star linebacker Kolaj Cobbins. The quartet of commitments have set the tone for this 2024 class with more on the way.

To add Johnson to this class gives the Tigers a major boost moving forward. He’s been as dominant as they come at the high school level, and after a junior campaign that put his name on the map, he has the chance to boost his stock even more during his final year at Lafayette Christian Academy.

Maintaining Kelly’s Message

“We’re going to identify the best prospects throughout the country and you’ll see that in this signing class. We’ll have players from the northeast, the midwest, the west coast. But our base will be Louisiana and the south,” Kelly said. “When you’re LSU and you have a brand that’s so recognizable, you can’t have blinders on either. Our scope and vision is national but it’s not like we’re pulling four guys out of every state. We’re gonna have a heavy influence in the state of Louisiana, like we should.”