Tag: Brian Thomas Jr.

LSU lands two receivers on On3’s top 25 list

On3 has released its latest list of the top 25 wide receivers in the country after the final week of the regular season.

On3 has released its latest list of the top 25 wide receivers in the country after the final week of the regular season. Two LSU Tigers made the cut.

Both of the Tigers landed in the top 10 as [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] comes in at No. 9 on the list and Malik Nabers is at No. 2. Thomas Jr. has played in 12 games this year and has made 60 receptions for 1,079 yards and 15 touchdowns. He and Nabers have created one of the best wide receiver tandems in LSU history.

Nabers has played in 12 games and made 86 receptions for 1,546 yards and 14 touchdowns. Nabers came in one spot behind Marvin Harrison Jr on the list. I understand Harrison Jr is a really good wide receiver but he hasn’t put up the kind of numbers that Nabers has put up and Nabers has played way better opponents.

Nabers has already stated that he will be playing in the bowl game, no matter who LSU is playing.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

2024 NFL draft: Receivers begin to emerge for Giants in several mocks

While QB still dominates most 2024 NFL mock drafts for the New York Giants, some wide receivers and O-linemen are beginning to pop up.

The New York Giants have won back-to-back games, improving their record to 4-8 on the season. Those consecutive wins have cost them potential 2024 NFL draft positioning as they are currently slated to select sixth overall.

At No. 6, the Giants are likely out of the Caleb Williams and Drake Maye sweepstakes unless general manager Joe Schoen decides to trade up.

In most early mock drafts, trades are avoided. Accordingly, projecting who the Giants select has begun to vary greatly. Some are still sticking to quarterbacks but not all — we’ve seen wide receivers and offensive linemen creep in.

Here’s a round-up of the most recent mock drafts and who they have the Giants selecting.

New 2024 mock draft misses the mark for the Steelers

Could the Steelers draft Diontae Johnson’s replacement in the 2024 NFL draft?

By the time the 2024 NFL draft comes around, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have already had to make some tough decisions. One of those could be pertaining to wide receiver Diontae Johnson. The Steelers gave Johnson a huge new contract but this season he’s really struggled with his maturity on and off the field.

In his first 2024 NFL mock draft, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler went a bit off script for the Pittsburgh Steelers with the No. 23 overall pick and we have to wonder if this isn’t somehow related to the Johnson situation.

Brugler has the Steelers selecting LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. Thomas is a fast-riser in the draft and while we concede he could end up in the first round, I’m not sure this is the direction the Steelers would go. Here’s a bit of what Brugler said about the pick:

The Steelers have as good a track record drafting receivers outside the first round as anyone, but it would be tough to pass on Thomas, who has outstanding size (6-4, 205), speed and tracking skills.

Seeing Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean come off the board with the next pick stings. The Steelers are in a position where they need a cornerback and a safety for next year and DeJean’s athleticism and versatility are a perfect match for Pittsburgh.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

 

Brian Kelly discusses potential bowl opt outs for LSU

Malik Nabers has already stated that he will be playing in the bowl game but it remains to be seen for other players.

This is a hot topic every year. If you are a draft-eligible player with a shot at making a lot of money in the NFL draft, do you decide to sit out for your team’s bowl game?

Players like [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] are all guys who could see themselves drafted within the first two days of the next NFL Draft.

That means they have the option to forgo the bowl game and just sit out until the draft without running the risk of getting hurt. [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] addressed this topic after the win over Texas A&M.

“Yeah, I’m sure some of them will have to make some decisions as to whether they think it’s in their best interest moving forward, whether they stay or go. We’ve had preliminary conversations with all of our players relative to staying for another year, leaving for the NFL, playing in the game,” Kelly said. “So we’ve got a pretty good sense of where our guys are at. And for us, it’s about information. It’s about making that they making sure they make the best decision for themselves and for their future. So we’re going to be in good shape. No matter what happens, regardless of who the player is. So, again, I think we’ve done a pretty good job. We’ll do some more meetings this week. We’ll have exit interviews with all of our players, and then probably have even a stronger feeling about where our players are at relative to the next step.”

Nabers has already stated that he will be playing in the bowl game but it remains to be seen for other players.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Brian Kelly comments on Kyren Lacy’s development this season

Kyren Lacy had a great game against the Georgia State Panthers last Saturday night in Baton Rouge.

[autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] had a great game against the Georgia State Panthers last Saturday night in Baton Rouge.

All of the talk this season has been around [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] Deservedly so, as those two guys have put up numbers like [autotag]Ja’Marr Chase[/autotag] and [autotag]Justin Jefferson[/autotag] in 2019. Nabers is the No. 1 wide receiver in the country and Thomas leads the country in receiving touchdowns with 14.

Lost in that shuffle is Louisiana transfer [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag]. Lacy lines up at the slot receiver position but he can be just as effective as Nabers and Thomas Jr. [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] was asked his thoughts on Lacy after the game.

“He’s a very capable wide receiver, and his role has been one where he’s going to get his chances because there’s so much attention paid to those other two receivers that many times he gets the one-on-one matchups, and he’s an outstanding receiver and he’s the beneficiary,” Kelly said. “That itself I think has allowed him to not be frustrated, because he knows when he gets his chances they’re going to be big plays.

With Nabers and Thomas likely leaving after this season, Lacy could see himself in a bigger role next year.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

How good is LSU’s WR duo of Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.?

Where does the Malik Nabers-Brian Thomas Jr. duo rank among your top wide receiver pairs in LSU history?

The LSU Tigers are no strangers to having top-tier wide receiver duos. The Tigers had [autotag]Jarvis Landry[/autotag] and [autotag]Odell Beckham Jr.[/autotag] on the same team from 2011-13 and then they had [autotag]Justin Jefferson[/autotag] and [autotag]Ja’Marr Chase[/autotag] on the 2019 team.

In 2023, there is a new star duo on the hayou: [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] Nabers currently leads the NCAA in receiving yards with 1,284 yards on 72 receptions. He also has 10 touchdowns on the year.

Thomas leads the nation in receiving touchdowns with 13. He also has 918 yards on 51 receptions. Both of these guys complement each other very well. They have helped [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] throw for over 3,000 yards in only 10 games.

At a press conference Thursday, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] revealed that the team has a running joke that Thomas’ success is due to the productivity of Nabers this year. He says that in jest but there could be some truth to it. When Nabers gets double-teamed, it leaves Thomas open and he has been able to capitalize on it.

Where does the Nabers-Thomas duo rank among your top wide receiver pairs in LSU history?

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

LSU is in the top 15 of ESPN’s college football power rankings after Week 8

Last Saturday, LSU got another convincing win during homecoming against Army.

Last Saturday, LSU got another convincing win during homecoming against Army.

Jayden Daniels bolstered his Heisman Trophy odds as he padded his stats for the first three quarters. [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] had outstanding performances as well.

LSU’s defense got their first shutout of the season as the Tigers beat Army 62-0. [autotag]Andre Sam[/autotag] was the biggest producer on defense as far as turnovers. He ended the night with two interceptions.

LSU’s record now sits at 6-2 this season and the Tigers are still in control of their destiny as a win over Alabama would likely secure them an SEC West title.

LSU ranks 15th in ESPN’s power rankings this week. Here’s what ESPN’s Alex Scarborough had to say

Talk about leaving no doubt. The final score — LSU 62, Army 0 — only told part of the story. The Tigers racked up 570 yards of offense, including 6.1 yards per rush and 13.7 yards per pass. On defense, they forced four turnovers, allowed only 42 yards passing and had five tackles for loss. Meanwhile, Jayden Daniels continued to build on his Heisman credentials with four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing). Riding a three game winning streak, LSU is playing its best football going into the bye week with a Nov. 4 trip to Alabama to follow.

LSU has a bye week this week before playing Alabama next week.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Stock Up, Stock Down: LSU takes care of business on homecoming

It was a happy homecoming for the LSU Tigers as they welcomed Army into Baton Rouge.

It was a happy homecoming for the LSU Tigers as they welcomed Army into Baton Rouge. LSU shut down the Army offense while putting up 62 points of their own.

It was a great tune-up game for the Tigers as they get ready to travel to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama in two weeks. First, they will get a bye week and have a chance to get some guys healthy.

A few standouts from the game include [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag], [autotag]Andre Sam[/autotag] and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag]. On the other side of the spectrum, LSU could not run the ball on Army until late in the fourth quarter.

Here’s our full stock report after the Week 8 win over the Black Knights.

Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr. make On3’s list of top 25 wide receivers in Week 7

On3 has released its list of the top 25 wide receivers in the FBS going into Week 7, and two LSU Tigers made the cut.

On3 has released its list of the top 25 wide receivers in the FBS going into Week 7, and two LSU Tigers made the list.

Coming in at No. 2 on the list is [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag]. In six games this year, Nabers has 46 receptions for 771 yards and six touchdowns. He averages 129 yards per game and 17 yards per catch. Nabers has had over 100 yards receiving for the past four games in a row.

Coming in at No. 12 on the list is [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] Thomas is currently leading the country in touchdowns with nine. He has 37 receptions for 603 yards and nine touchdowns in only six games. He averages 101 yards per game and 16 yards per catch.

These two guys are putting up generational numbers. They are putting up numbers like [autotag]Ja’Marr Chase[/autotag] and [autotag]Justin Jefferson[/autotag] in 2019. This offense with [autotag]Jayden Daniels [/autotag]is one of the best offenses in college football.

If the defense could get it figured out, this team could be incredible.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Tale of the Tape: Auburn vs. LSU

Auburn is a major road underdog this week, but what does the Tale of the Tape say about their chances?

A pair of two-loss teams face off this weekend in Death Valley, as the 3-2 Auburn Tigers travel to take on the 4-2 No. 20 LSU Tigers in a SEC West showdown.

Auburn is coming off its bye week after nearly upsetting No. 1 Georgia two weekends ago.

LSU avoided a scare in Missouri last week, taking down the then-undefeated Missouri Tigers 49-39 in a game that saw a combined 1,060 yards of total offense.

LSU’s offense has been humming all year, led by Heisman candidate [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and wide receiver [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag]. Their defense has been the Achilles heel for the team, however, as they’ve allowed nearly 47 points per game this season.

Auburn’s story of the season is nearly the exact opposite, as the offense has struggled mightily while the defense has become a top unit in the country.

Auburn’s inept offense is one of the main reasons why they are 11.5-point underdogs in this game according to BetMGM.

ESPN’s FPI doesn’t love Auburn’s chances at an upset either, as the model gives the unranked Tigers a 24.1% chance at stealing one in Death Valley.

Will a deeper dive into the tale of the tape show Auburn has a higher chance of ending its two-game losing streak than the experts believe? As always, we’ll start by looking at the quarterbacks.

Auburn has struggled to throw the ball all season with quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag]. Through the first five games, Thorne has thrown for 643 yards (128.6 YPG), 4 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions.

The junior transfer has also run the ball 45 times, collecting 195 yards on the ground and scoring twice.

LSU quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] has more than tripled that production. In six games, Daniels has thrown for 1,969 yards and 19 touchdowns. He has thrown just 2 interceptions.

The senior has also done damage on the ground, rushing the ball 75 times for 422 yards and 4 touchdowns.

LSU has the clear advantage at quarterback, and it’s not anywhere close. The offensive skill position-player difference tells much of the same story.

Auburn has failed to get much of anything from pass-catchers not named J[autotag]ay Fair[/autotag] or [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag], while LSU has arguably the best receiver in the nation in [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and a contingent of solid players behind him.

Nabers alone has tallied 771 yards and 6 touchdowns through 6 games. The 771 yards are just 10 less than all Auburn pass-catchers combined, albeit in one extra game.

[autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] has been the preferred second option for [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], as the junior has collected 603 yards and scored a team-leading 9 touchdowns this season.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag]’s team has also been better rushing the ball, as they’ve rushed for 5.7 yards per carry compared to Auburn’s 4.8 this season.

LSU is leaps and bounds better than Auburn right now on the offensive side of the ball.

The same can’t be said for the defense, as the road team has the clear advantage in this one.

Even after getting pounced by [autotag]Carson Beck[/autotag]and [autotag]Brock Bowers[/autotag] in the fourth quarter two weeks ago, Auburn’s defense still ranks 31st in the country in total yards allowed per game (349) and 26th in points allowed per game (19.5).

LSU’s defense, on the other hand, is not good. The Tigers are giving up an outrageous 36.8 points and 470.8 yards per game.

Auburn’s contingent of playmakers on the defensive side gives them a clear advantage in this one.

The LSU offense is elite, the defense is not.

The Auburn defense is elite, the offense is not.

This game is going to come down to which team takes advantage of the other side’s weakness first. If the Auburn defense can play the way they’ve been playing, and the offense can take advantage of a bad LSU defense, they have a chance to end their losing skid at two games.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch