JK Johnson is transferring to LSU.
The former Ohio State cornerback announced his commitment to LSU on Sunday, becoming the second former Buckeye cornerback in as many years to take his talents to Baton Rouge. While his announcement featuring images from his visit to LSU did not specify he had committed to LSU, he updated his Twitter bio on Sunday to indicate that he is now an LSU cornerback.
@LSUfootball @SteepDiesel @WingoMekhi @iRecruitDaBoot pic.twitter.com/AIUMMHOWMo
— JK Johnson (@darealxjk) January 8, 2023
Johnson’s transfer to LSU comes after Sevyn Banks transferred from Ohio State to LSU last April. They continue a lineage of recent transfers from Ohio State to LSU that also famously included Joe Burrow, who transferred from Ohio State to LSU in 2018 and ended up winning the Heisman Trophy and national championship in 2019.
By transferring to LSU, Johnson reunites with LSU cornerbacks coach Robert Steeples, who previously coached Johnson at De Smet Jesuit High School in St. Louis.
Had Johnson stayed at Ohio State, he likely would have competed with Jordan Hancock and Jyaire Brown for a starting job next season after playing the second-most snaps among cornerbacks this year behind only returning starter Denzel Burke. He may have a clearer path to a starting job in Baton Rouge, though, as the Tigers are losing their all of their top four cornerbacks from this past season.
With Banks set to return to LSU for another year after taking a redshirt due to injury this past season, the Tigers could potentially have two starting cornerbacks next season who previously played at Ohio State, though they also added a transfer commitment from former Syracuse cornerback Duce Chestnut on Sunday.
Johnson brings three more years of collegiate eligibility to LSU. He becomes the fourth Buckeye to transfer to a new school since the end of the regular season, joining fellow defensive backs Jantzen Dunn (Kentucky) and Jaylen Johnson (Memphis) and linebacker Teradja Mitchell (Florida).
