The NCAA Transfer portal has changed college sports over the past several years, and nowhere can that be seen more clearly than at LSU.
And with that in mind, the transfer recruiting never really stops for Jay Johnson, even after a thrilling, 11-inning victory over Wake Forest to land in the title series.
"If you’re one of the best players in the transfer portal," Johnson said, "there’s only one place to come play."
And he certainly had a point. While LSU got huge contributions from Tre' Morgan, Dylan Crews and other traditionally recruited players, in a winner-take-all matchup with the top-ranked team, it was the transfers who kept the season alive.
It was Paul Skenes, a transfer from Air Force, who did his normal ace thing and put down 8 innings of shutout baseball that his team desperately needed.
It was UCLA transfer Thatcher Hurd who came in and shut down Wake for another three innings to set up the late offensive heroics.
And finally, it was N.C. State transfer Tommy White who sent the first pitch he saw from Camden Minacci over the left field wall for a two-run, walkoff home run.
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Oh, and it'd be a shame not to mention Riley Cooper, a transfer from Arizona two seasons ago, who has been nails out of the bullpen throughout the entire CWS. Before that it was Nate Ackenhausen, a JuCo transfer who pitched six scoreless against Tennessee in his first start of the season.
All of that combines to make this bold statement, and let's be real ... sales pitch, from LSU's head coach all the more accurate.
"Last summer I spent a lot of time with these young men, and I think they would tell you they made the right choice," Johnson said. "I’d want to join forces with them if they’re out there."
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