LSU Country

Decision Day: Where Will Coveted Transfer Jay'Viar Suggs Commit?

LSU remains in the mix for one of the top free agents remaining on the market. What's the latest buzz?

Zack Nagy

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It's decision day for one of the top players remaining in the NCAA Transfer Portal with Grand Valley State defensive tackle Jay'Viar Suggs set to reveal a commitment decision.

The prized interior defensive lineman has a slew of potential suitors, but after releasing his four finalists last week, LSU is heavily in the mix for his services.

Now, after a visit to Baton Rouge from Sunday night to Tuesday afternoon, the dust has settled and Suggs is prepared to reveal a decision.

Where will the Grand Valley State stud commit?

The latest buzz on Suggs' recruitment and where the Tigers stand:

The LSU Visit

Suggs wrapped up an official visit to Death Valley on Tuesday after departing Louisiana and hopping on a flight back to Michigan. After the trip, he went back to talk things over with his camp before announcing a decision.

The trip to Baton Rouge went "very well" according to a source close to Suggs recruitment and the Tigers felt comfortable once he departed campus.

Now, he's set to announce his decision this evening with LSU heavily in the mix. But it's clear the recruiting game is fluid; anything can happen in the final hour.

It's clear LSU is in the market for a defensive tackle with Suggs sitting atop their list. After swinging and missing on a trio of coveted transfers, the Tigers rolled out the red carpet for the Grand Valley State transfer and are swinging for the fences.

The chance to see significant playing time, be coached up by Bo Davis and the NIL opportunities in Baton Rouge are intriguing offers for Suggs. Now, it's wait and see mode.

Suggs has received significant interest since he entered the NCAA Transfer Portal last month. He has taken 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.

Then, he revised his finalists with LSU making the cut alongside Wisconsin, Michigan and Kentucky.

LSU has significant ties to Suggs with Kelly and Co. hoping to utilize them to their advantage.

What's the connection between Suggs and the LSU Tigers?

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 where he spent the 2023 season alongside Suggs.

The Michigan native will have two seasons of eligibility remaining at his next destination 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 his program.

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 now he's ready to take it up a notch at a Power Four school. The interest is there from several blue-chip programs and LSU became the latest to jump in.

The Other Finalists: Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin

Kentucky... Ahead of Suggs' trip to LSU, the Wildcats remained in close contact with the prized defensive tackle. It's a program that provides him with another opportunity to compete in the SEC while earn significant playing time in Lexington. One of the first schools to get in on the action, Kentucky remained in contact with Suggs during his entire time in the portal, but just like LSU, it's now back in wait and see mode.

Michigan... The hometown Wolverines are a heavyweight hitter here. A program that has a winning reputation, within close proximity to his home and yet again, another opportunity to step in and take significant snaps, are all intriguing pieces to the puzzle here for Suggs. Nonetheless, he's taken several other visits with Kentucky and LSU giving him something to think about. Will Suggs be willing to depart his home-state and move over 1,000 miles to a new city? This will be the interesting piece. A player who has two years of eligibility, he's looking for a new home to get primed for the next level. This will be an interesting piece to monitor with the Wolverines remaining in close contact during the 11th hour.

Wisconsin... The Badgers also have the "close to home" card in their arsenal as he begins locking in on making a decision. It's the wildcard program down the stretch, but a program that made his final four nonetheless. He's remained in close contact, taken in what they have to offer and will now sit back and mull over the opportunities they provide.

Now, with a decision set for this evening, Suggs will talk with his camp about which program can prepare him for the best chance to reach his final goal of playing in the NFL while also taking in the off-the-field opportunities provided.

Other LSU News:

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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Zack Nagy
ZACK NAGY

Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of LSU Country, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Tiger Football, Basketball, Baseball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving LSU athletics. 

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