BREAKING: LSU Lands Commitment From Prized Defensive Tackle Jay'Viar Suggs

The wait is over. The LSU football staff has landed a commitment from Grand Valley State defensive tackle Jay'viar Suggs, he announced on Wednesday evening.

The coveted transfer is fresh off of an official visit to LSU where he had the chance to meet with Brian Kelly, Bo Davis and several personnel members with the Tigers ultimately sealing the deal for Suggs' services.

The commitment comes as a sigh of relief for many LSU fans after the program missed out on several defensive tackle targets via the NCAA Transfer Portal this spring.

Now, the purple and gold add a much needed piece to the roster after receiving a pledge from one of the top remaining free agents on the market.

Suggs had received significant interest since entering the NCAA Transfer Portal last month. The Grand Valley State stud took several visits, including trips to Michigan, Florida State and USC recently.

Last week, Suggs released his Top 6 schools consisting of: USC, Wisconsin, Michigan, Florida State, Arkansas and Kentucky, but once LSU offered, it altered his plans.

Suggs then revised his finalists with LSU making the cut alongside Wisconsin, Michigan and Kentucky.

LSU entered the mix in a big way after dishing out an offer. It was clear the purple and gold got in late on the action, but there were a few ties here between Suggs and LSU head coach Brian Kelly.

What're the connection between Suggs and the LSU Tigers? What ultimately sealed the deal?

The Grand Valley State Connection: The Kelly's History

Kelly spent several years at Grand Valley State as a head coach; propelling the program to a pair of Division II National Championships. Another interesting tidbit is that Kelly's youngest son, Kenzel, is on the Grand Valley State coaching staff after spending the 2023 season alongside Suggs.

There were ties between both parties with relationships ultimately becoming the deciding factor for Suggs after Michigan and Kentucky remained in close contact with the prized defensive tackle.

The Michigan native will have two seasons of eligibility remaining at LSU after spending five years with Grand Valley State.

Suggs took a redshirt year in his first season with the program with the following season in 2020 being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 6-foot-3, 282-pounder tallied 21 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 5 pass breakups and 1 forced fumble in 2022 with GVSU.

The following season in 2023, Suggs remained consistent after logging 21 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 5 sacks with 4 pass breakups and a forced fumble.

Suggs has been a consistent contributor at the Division II level, but he's clearly ready to take it up a notch at a Power Four school.

Now, he joins an LSU roster where he will have an opportunity to step right in and earn a starting spot alongside veteran defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory if all goes accordingly.

Suggs is the second transfer portal commitment for the Tigers this spring after the Tigers added Wisconsin defensive tackle Gio Paez weeks ago.

The Bayou Bengals are set to have a trio of defensive tackles make their way to Baton Rouge this summer with five-star signee Dominick McKinley joining both Suggs and Paez.

A look into the rest of LSU's defensive tackle room:

The Veterans: Jacobian Guillory and Jalen Lee

Guillory and Lee handled a majority of LSU's first team reps during spring camp over the last two months where Guillory has been pencilled in as a starter. The fifth-year senior returned to Baton Rouge with an opportunity to take control of this position group and has done so this offseason.

The 6-foot-2, 320-pounder looked the part during camp and quickly became a vocal leader for this defense. He took first team reps throughout camp and didn't skip a beat while in position to replace snaps taken by both Mekhi Wingo and Maason Smith.

When it comes to Lee, the second-year Tiger was lined up next to Guillory for most of camp. The Florida transfer will be in line to take key snaps this offseason with a lack of depth with this position group. At 6-foot-3, 307 pounds, he's lightened up a bit and looked more mobile during spring camp.

It was a battle throughout spring ball for Lee. He was splitting reps with offensive lineman turned defensive lineman Kimo Makane'ole for first team duties and must have a strong offseason in order take impactful snaps this fall.

The Youngsters: De'Myrion Johnson, Shone Washington, Preston Hickey and Ahmad Breaux

Johnson... The true freshman arrived in Baton Rouge this offseason and was thrust into key snaps due to the Tigers' lack of depth. A player who will need time to season his game, Johnson is a defensive tackle who will likely redshirt in Year 1 with the program while he gets acclimated to the college game. Long term, look for the youngster to take strides in the right direction.

Washington... A JUCO transfer, Washington made his way to Death Valley with high hopes. After being previously committed to LSU out of high school, he opted to sign with the Georgia Bulldogs for his freshman campaign before going the JUCO route. Once again on the recruiting scene, Washington became a coveted target for Power Five programs with LSU landing his signature. It'll be intriguing to see the snaps he takes this fall in Death Valley given he may need time to reach that next level.

Hickey... The walk-on took second team snaps during spring camp and was an impressive rotational player for the Tigers when they needed him. Now, with LSU looking to add reinforcements via the NCAA Transfer Portal, we'll monitor where Hickey falls on the depth chart.

Breaux... Early-enrollee Ahmad Breaux has switched positions. After arriving in Baton Rouge as a defensive end, Breaux recently moved to the interior defensive line given the depth issues the program currently has. The freshman currently stands at 6-foot-5, 258 pounds, but will certainly need to put on significant size to make an impact sooner rather than later. Nonetheless, he'll be an intriguing prospect for LSU long term.

The Signee: Dominick McKinley

The five-star freshman will arrive in Death Valley this summer where he will immediately be thrusted into a key role for LSU. Defensive line coach Bo Davis landed a commitment from his guy earlier this year and never looked back after McKinley officially put pen to paper in February. Now, the five-star signee will have all eyes on him this offseason leading into the season opener against USC given he'll be a player who must take snaps.

The Transfer Addition: Gio Paez

The Wisconsin transfer will make his way down South this summer where he will be a key rotational piece for the Tigers during the 2024 season.

Paez is from Los Angeles, California and redshirted his first season with the Badgers. In year two, he played in just one game, but it counted as the COVID season in 2020. Over the last three seasons, he’s played 32 games and logged 36 tackles.

Other LSU News:

Report: LSU To Host Coveted Defensive Back Transfer Wesley Walker For Visit

The Buzz: LSU Hosts Pair of Coveted Defensive Tackle Transfers For Visit to Baton Rouge

The Debut: LSU Star Paul Skenes Handles Business in MLB Debut With The Pirates

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