Sports

LSU Coach Bailed On Local TV Interview To Outbid Texas For Top Baseball Recruit

#College Baseball
by Last Updated

iStockphoto / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect


LSU baseball landed a huge addition to its recruiting class in the form of top transfer Bino Watters. The former Notre Dame outfielder chose the Tigers over Texas on Wednesday.

Head coach Jay Johnson received the news a few hours earlier while conducting a local media interview. He had an all-time reaction to stealing the nation’s best player from an SEC rival.

Johnson spoke with WBRZ 2 on Tuesday. Just four minutes into the conversation, his phone rang. Most believe the call came from Watters’ camp.

Those assumptions were seemingly confirmed on Wednesday morning.

LSU nabs top baseball transfer Bino Watters.

Watters is widely regarded as the best portal option of the 2027 cycle. The outfielder spent his first two college seasons at Notre Dame. He put up monster numbers with the Fighting Irish.

The lefty hit .317 with nine homers as a freshman. He upped those statistics considerably as a sophomore. Last year, Watters hit .362 across 53 games while bashing 10 dingers and knocking in 51 RBIs.

Nearly 40% of his hits have gone for extra bases. He has power to all fields. He’s also proven to be a threat on the basepaths, swiping eight bags in 11 tries.

A true five-tool player, he boasts a career .977 fielding percentage with just two errors in 97 contests. That production helped Notre Dame win 63 during his two years on campus. Unfortunately, he never had the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament.

That should change with his recent transfer portal decision. While LSU did miss the postseason this year, it remains the reigning national champion.

The Tigers have won two titles since 2023. They are in the process of compiling a roster that can return to Omaha.

Alongside Bino Watters, the program landed the No. 2 overall college baseball transfer in Landon Hood. LSU will have one of the top recruiting classes of the cycle.

While the Tigers ultimately succeeded in landing Watters’ commitment, they were not always viewed as the favorite.

Watters was a Texas lean.

Most recruiting analysts believed the Longhorns were in the driver’s seat. They hosted Watters on campus earlier in the process. The Tigers made a late push.

LSU had the final visit. They might’ve also had the deepest pockets.

Texas was the leader in the clubhouse for Watters as recently as Monday, but the Tigers had the final visit, and we believe they offered him the most NIL of the three programs.

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The Tigers had all the necessary information to negotiate the highest offer. That made Jay Johnson’s job easier when Watters (supposedly) called him on Tuesday afternoon.

The school is not shy about spending money on top talent.

The football roster is reportedly valued at $40 million. The basketball program lured Will Wade back to Baton Rouge with the promise of a massive NIL budget.

While there were questions about investment in the baseball team this season, they’ve been answered with the recruitment of Bino Watters.

LSU is serious about getting back to the College World Series. It outbid Texas to get its top target. Jay Johnson dipped out of a media interview to finalize the deal. It’s a major victory for the Tigers.