Finally – the LSU football team got a transfer portal defensive lineman.
Grand Valley State defensive tackle Jay’Viar Suggs announced on social media that he had committed to LSU – giving the Tigers a player at a position of need. LSU has actively hunted the portal for interior defensive linemen since the spring, swinging and missing on several prospect. That led to LSU coach Brian Kelly saying publicly that LSU was not in the market to “buy” players with rumors that the asking price for some of the available defensive linemen in the portal was north of $1 million, despite many of those players having just marginal success at their previous schools.
Suggs was an impact player at Grand Valley State. He logged 21 tackles last season – 7.5 of those coming for loss. He also recorded 5 sacks for a team that went 11-2. Because of his work, Suggs is listed as a 3-star prospect in the transfer portal and is regarded as one of the top available defensive linemen.
But Grand Valley State is a Division II School – a far reach and a massive step up in class from the SEC. Suggs is 6-foot, 3-inches and weighs 282 pounds.
The Tigers are looking to add depth up front on a defensive line that coach Brian Kelly said could use some polish – especially on the interior. LSU returns Jacobian Guillory, but the rest of the defensive tackles are unknowns – a pool including Wisconsin transfer Gio Paez, Jalen Lee, Kimo Makane’ole, Shone Washington and 5-star prospect Dominick McKinley, who may need to be thrust into early playing time.