LSU Lands #1 TE for 2022

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The nation's No. 1 ranked tight end prospect on the 247Sports Composite is headed to LSU for college.

On Thursday, Georgia four-star Jake Johnson revealed his commitment to the Tigers and head coach Ed Orgeron, giving the program a much needed boost at the tight end spot with the addition of a Top 100 prospect.

“I am really pumped about it and I know LSU is the right spot for me,” said Johnson, who committed to LSU over a double-digit scholarship offer list that includes programs like Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Florida and more. “I believe the offense really fits me the best, and I think I can have great success for LSU. Playing with my brother will be a fun experience, but I really think it’s going to benefit me in that offense. I would be prioritized as a tight end.”

Max Johnson, Jake’s older brother, finished 2-0 as the starter for LSU this past season, and he was given the first-team reps out of the gate in spring ball because of his strong finish to his freshman year.

Now, Johnson will join back up with his brother after they capped off their time together at Oconee County with a trip to the state title game in 2019. Over the years, the pair have been tied at the hip, and Max was in attendance in June 2019 when Jake landed his offer from LSU’s staff during a workout at summer camp. And given Super Bowl champion quarterback Brad Johnson is his father, Johnson has been able to soak up the knowledge of a quarterback his entire life.

“I think it’s a really big advantage having them as quarterbacks, and not just throwing the ball to me all the time, but understanding football and running routes and teaching me where I need to be at certain times and in different situations,” Johnson said. “I’ve grown a lot because of that.”

In 12 games as a junior this past season, Johnson caught 37 passes for 787 yards and 10 touchdowns.

After playing with his brother as a sophomore during the 2019 season, Johnson has now totaled 1,632 yards receiving on 97 catches the past two seasons. In that stretch, he’s logged 24 receiving touchdowns, and he’s carrying a Top 100 ranking into the summer months.

“I was injured my freshman year, but it feels like such a long time ago now,” Johnson said. “We’ve made (the state championship) two years in a row now, and hopefully we can get back there again. But as far as how I’ve played, I thought (2020) was a great year for me. I grew as a blocker and pass-catcher and just my all-around game. And I have been getting bigger as we go, and now I’m at 6-foot-5.5 and 230 pounds. Overall, I thought I had a pretty good year.”

When it came time to decide on a college, Johnson soaked in as much as he could from coaches around the country, but when the dust settled, the pitch from LSU, Orgeron, tight ends coach Derek Shay and new hires like offensive coordinator Jake Peetz provided an opportunity that was too much to pass up.

“I think recruiting gets a lot more serious as you get older, and it’s a great thing though,” Johnson said. “You get a lot of wisdom from all the coaches and can really put it into your game. But with LSU, it just felt like the right fit.

“I have met with Coach Peetz and have been on the phone with him a bunch, and he seems like an incredible guy,” Johnson said. “I really enjoyed what he has told me about the team and what they have for their game plan. I know they want the tight end involved … And I can play tight end, I can flex out and go in the slot or out wide. I believe I can be a mismatch. And I think blocking is a big part of it. You have to do it all. And this year I really did get better at blocking.”

When it comes to tight ends Johnson models his game after, he quickly circled one of the NFL’s best in Kansas City Chiefs standout Travis Kelce.

“One person I like to watch is Kelce and the way he runs his routes,” Johnson said. “One of the main things people don’t really see a lot is how pivotal tight ends are in the league right now. If you have a really good tight end, it changes the defense’s personnel of what they have to bring in with a corner or safety, then you are in a mismatch against the run. I think it’s a huge mismatch. And LSU’s offense takes advantage of that.”

LSU enters the 2021 season with just two scholarship tight ends on roster in sophomore Kole Taylor and true freshman Jalen Shead, who arrives to campus this summer. The staff has leaned heavily on Taylor and walk-on Nick Storz during spring practices over the past month, and will do the same come fall.

The departure of former Georgia product and five-star Arik Gilbert after less than one season left a void in the tight ends room, and while Gilbert recently met with Orgeron and the staff in Baton Rouge, he remains in the NCAA's Transfer Portal as he navigates his next move.

Meanwhile, the staff wasted little time adding this year’s No. 1 tight end prospect to the 2022 roster, and while the addition of Johnson likely points to plenty of early playing time, the Georgia four-star prospect is keeping his head down and his focus on improvement.

“I would say whatever college it is, and with LSU, it’s the best man should play,” Johnson said. “It’s the coaches decision when it comes to that. Coach Peetz wants to put the best five skill players out there and start them. For me, I just have to work hard and get after it in the weight room.”

The Tigers now have 12 commitments in for the 2022 class, which includes eight players on offense in Johnson, quarterback Walker Howard, a trio of offensive linemen and a trio of wide receivers. LSU's 2022 class is ranked No. 3 in the country on the 247Sports Rankings, trailing behind only Ohio State and Georgia.

While Johnson won’t be on roster until a year from now, LSU’s newest commitment will never be far from the program. Johnson will be in attendance to watch his brother and the Tigers in this weekend’s annual L-Club Spring Game, and he’s been a mainstay at games, including a memorable trip to The Swamp that offered up their first memories of a Johnson starting in purple-and-gold.

That night, Max - in his first college start - helped lead LSU to a dramatic win over Florida, giving the Tigers a much-needed spark while simultaneously knocking the Gators out of the race for the College Football Playoffs.

“It was crazy,” Johnson said as he reflected on the win in Gainesville. “You are just waiting for him to play the whole season, then he gets in and he lights it up. As a brother, you are pulling for him your whole life, and to see him succeed was awesome. And he had some great success that night. Our whole family was just excited for him. We knew he could do it.”

There’s likely many more big moments ahead for Johnson at quarterback, and in 16 months, his Jake will be suited up in purple-and-gold as they run out of the tunnel together in Death Valley.

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