There is a narrative that Lemonis doesn't deserve credit for the national title because he was handed a talented roster. Outside of Tanner Allen and Rowdey Jordan, who on the 2021 team was on the 2018 roster?
I could only come up with two:
Do we win the title in 2021 without Bednar, Logan Tanner, or Sims? All three made it to campus over a year after Lemonis became head coach.
Does winning a national title with 2 or more major contributors that were already on campus = being handed a national title? In year 3? At a school that had never won a national title?
What about in year 2 at a school with 6 national titles? Looking at LSU's 2021 roster (the year before Johnson), I see a lot of familiar names: Crews, Morgan, Dugas, Thompson, Beloso, Travinski, Floyd, Money...
Good luck to Jay Johnson searching for his first (earned) national title in 2024.
I could only come up with two:
- Josh Hatcher - played in a reserve role at the end of 2021
- Riley Self - injured and didn't pitch after March 2021
Do we win the title in 2021 without Bednar, Logan Tanner, or Sims? All three made it to campus over a year after Lemonis became head coach.
Does winning a national title with 2 or more major contributors that were already on campus = being handed a national title? In year 3? At a school that had never won a national title?
What about in year 2 at a school with 6 national titles? Looking at LSU's 2021 roster (the year before Johnson), I see a lot of familiar names: Crews, Morgan, Dugas, Thompson, Beloso, Travinski, Floyd, Money...
Good luck to Jay Johnson searching for his first (earned) national title in 2024.