Tag: cortez hankton

LSU to host 5-star Alabama commit as Ole Miss comes to town

LSU is set to host a big time receiving prospect this weekend.

LSU is set for a big recruiting weekend as No. 9 Ole Miss comes to town. A notable name on the visitors list is five-star Alabama commit Caleb Cunningham. 

The new was reported by On3’s Chad Simmons on Friday morning.

According to the On3 Industry Rankings, Cunningham is the No. 2 ranked receiver in the 2025 class and No. 16 overall prospect. A Mississippi native, Cunningham committed to Alabama in July.

Despite the Bama pledge, LSU remains involved in his recruitment. Cunningham told On3 that he’s still 100% with Alabama, but LSU “is trying to make their way back in this thing.”

It’s a long shot, but Cunningham would be a major flip for an already-loaded LSU recruiting class. The Tigers already have three five-stars on board, including five-star QB [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag].

LSU has been involved with multiple five-star receivers this cycle but is yet to add an industry five-star to the group. LSU’s top-ranked receiving commit is four-star [autotag]Derek Meadows[/autotag], who ranks 52nd overall in the On3 Industry Rankings.

Overall, LSU’s 2025 class ranks fourth nationally and has 26 commits. The class is close to being finalized, but there are always a few surprises when the season ends and national signing day rolls around. LSU will have a chance to impress some big-time recruits with official visits during SEC play.

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Brian Thomas Jr. honors LSU WR coach Cortez Hankton before scoring blazing touchdown for Jaguars

Former LSU receiver Brian Thomas Jr. honors LSU coach before taking 85-yard TD to the house.

LSU put a trio of stars into the NFL this year with [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] going in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. All three are off to strong starts, continuing to hold up LSU’s reputation of producing top-tier NFL talent.

Thomas, in particular, is putting on a show. Now with the Jacksonville Jaguars, he has 22 catches for 397 yards on the year. On Sunday, he set career highs, eclipsing the 100-yard mark for the first time in his young NFL career with 5 catches for 122 yards and a score.

Before the game, Thomas wore a shirt paying respect to [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag], Thomas’ wide receivers coach at LSU. The shirt featured images of Hankton from his time with the Jaguars.

The highlight of the day was an 85-yard touchdown in which Thomas hit 22.15 miles per hour, the fastest measured time for any ball carrier this season.

Thomas made a living off the deep ball at LSU and that hasn’t stopped now that he’s in the NFL.

Thomas’ blend of size and speed made him a tantalizing prospect for NFL teams. Entering 2023 at LSU, Thomas wasn’t projected to be an early-round pick. But after a strong year and an impressive performance at the NFL combine, Thomas was quick to make a rise up the draft board.

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LSU wide receiver target receives offer from Tigers track and field

A four-star LSU football target recently received a track offer, too.

Four-star Louisiana receiver [autotag]Phillip Wright[/autotag] committed to Michigan earlier this month, but that hasn’t stopped LSU from trying to flip the blue-chip prospect.

Now, Wright will have the opportunity to run track at LSU along with playing football.

Wright, who’s earned the nickname “Flash,” runs a 10.46 100m, making him one of the fastest receivers in his class. We’ve seen LSU put a premium on speed at the receiver position in recent years, making Wright a perfect fit in the [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] and [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag] offense.

Wright hails from Destrehan High, a place that LSU is familiar with. LSU already has one Destrehan commit in 2025 with safety [autotag]Jhase Thomas[/autotag] locked it. It’s the school that produced former LSU star [autotag]Justin Jefferson[/autotag] and current LSU running back [autotag]John Emery Jr.[/autotag]

Top prospects from Louisiana rarely leave to head up north. It’s even rarer at Destrehan. Wright was at LSU this weekend for the Bayou Splash but remained firm with his Michigan pledge for now.

LSU knows it continues to have a chance with top instate products until that dotted line is signed. Last year, the state’s top prospect [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] committed to Texas A&M, but LSU stuck with it and eventually signed the five-star defensive tackle.

The Tigers will hope for a similar outcome with Wright this year.

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Is LSU wide receiver Chris Hilton Jr. flying under the radar?

Is LSU wide receiver Chris Hilton Jr. a breakout candidate in 2024?

LSU’s wide receiver room will look different in 2024. The gap left by [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] is a big one, which has led to many calling for a breakout year from receivers like [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] and [autotag]CJ Daniels[/autotag].

As far as breakout candidates go, Lacy and Daniels make sense. Lacy, a fifth-year senior, will enter his third year at LSU. He knows the offense, knows quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], and his 18.6 yards per catch in 2023 lead all qualified SEC returners.

Daniels was one of the top receivers on the transfer market after racking up 1,000 yards and leading the country in yards per route run at Liberty.

It’s understandable why those two are getting most of the preseason hype, but does that leave some other receivers flying under the radar? That could be the case with [autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag], who’s finally getting his chance in 2024.

Hilton arrived as a member of that 2021 recruiting class that was loaded at receiver. Along with Nabers and Thomas, that class included blue-chips [autotag]Jack Bech[/autotag] and [autotag]Deion Smith[/autotag]. Three years later, Hilton is the last one standing at LSU.

He was a highly touted recruit and 247Sports ranked Hilton as the top receiver in the class. He didn’t make much noise as a freshman, catching just two passes for 81 yards in a touchdown.

That touchdown came in garbage time against Kansas State in the bowl game, but Hilton put his speed on display.

In 2022, Hilton was set to be a part of the rotation. He was targeted eight times in Week 2 before getting the start against Mississippi State in Week 3. But in Week 4 against New Mexico, he tore his ACL and his year was done.

In 2023, we know what the deal was. Nabers and Thomas were a historic duo, swallowing up the majority of the targets. Throw in Lacy with tight end [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag], as well as the rushing ability of [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], and there wasn’t much offensive production left for players like Hilton.

That chance is there now. Hilton is projected to start for LSU and if the bowl game was any indication, he has a decent rapport with Nussmeier.

Nussmeier had some praise for Hilton after that performance.

According to PFF, Hilton’s top two graded games in 2023 were his final two. That strong finish could be indicative of more to come in 2024.

With Daniels gone, LSU needs to find a way to drum up big plays. Having a receiver with Hilton’s size on the outside that can fly is one way to do that.

Nearly 40% of Hilton’s targets in 2023 were deep balls. He’ll be tasked with becoming a more complete pass catcher this fall, but that go-ball ability will be critical to LSU’s offense.

Lacy is the favorite to be LSU’s No. 1 target, but Hilton should be in the conversation too. Hilton’s yards per route run was just ahead of Lacy in 2023 and it wouldn’t be a shock if Hilton put it all together to have an all-conference campaign.

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LSU football 4-star Jelani Watkins wins Gatorade Player of the Year for track

Jelani Watkins was one of LSU’s top ranked football recruits, but he brought him Gatorade Player of The Year for his work on the track.

LSU wide receiver coach [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag] puts a premium on speed and he’ll be getting some serious wheels with the arrival of [autotag]Jelani Watkins[/autotag].

Watkins was recently named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Texas, not for football, but for his accomplishments on the track.

“The 5-foot-10, 161-pound senior sprinter broke the tape in the 100-meter dash at the UIL 6A state meet, clocking a personal best time of 10.19 seconds, which ranked No. 2 nationally among boys prep competitors and No. 23 in prep history,” Gatorade wrote in a press release.

Watkins was also a key member of the 4×100 relay team that broke a national record that had stood for 26 years.

“Watkins has maintained a 3.12 GPA in the classroom,” Gatorade wrote.

According to ESPN, Watkins is the No. 5 overall receiver in the 2024 recruiting class. In the 247Sports Composite Rankings, he’s the No. 167 overall recruit and No. 28 ranked receiver.

Watkins is also set to run track at LSU.

With summer workouts in full swing, Watkins is on campus with the other 2024 recruits, participating in summer workouts.

There’s plenty of targets to go around with [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] turning pro. If Watkins makes a strong early impression, Hankton and co-OC [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] might find a way to get his speed on the field.

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Garrett Nussmeier offers high praise for new LSU co-OC Joe Sloan

“I wouldn’t want to play for anyone else other than coach (Joe) Sloan,” Garrett Nussmeier said.

LSU has new coordinators on both sides of the ball entering the 2024 season.

With [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] leaving to join Notre Dame, the Tigers promoted quarterbacks coach [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] and receivers coach/passing game coordinator [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag] to the roles of co-offensive coordinator.

That could prove to be a major benefit for new starting quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], who has spent the last two seasons working with Sloan directly. At the Manning Passing Academy, Nussmeier had quite a bit of praise to offer his new playcaller.

“It’s been huge just getting to work with coach Sloan and our relationship has grown over the past three years,” Nussmeier said. “He knows me better than anyone at this point outside of probably I’d say my own father who worked with my since I was a kid. But like I said, I wouldn’t want to play for anyone else other than coach Sloan.

“Our relationship means the world to me. His ability to make me have the right mental state and get me to the right playing state is what I think sets him apart. I think he does an unreal job, I don’t know that there’s anybody better in the entire country right now than him at what he’s doing and his system and what he teaches.”

Sloan’s track record is certainly impressive given his work with [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], who won the Heisman Trophy under his tutelage in 2023. Nussmeier will hope he can achieve similar success while playing under Sloan.

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LSU makes top 10 for one of Louisiana’s best 2025 recruits

LSU made the cut for one of Louisiana’s top 2025 prospects.

Four-star wide receiver released [autotag]Phillip Wright[/autotag] dropped his top 10 on Tuesday evening with the home-state Tigers making the cut.

Wright, from Destrehan, Louisiana, is the ninth-best prospect in the state, according to On3’s Industry Rankings. Nationally, Wright is 59th among receivers and 375th overall.

LSU was joined by several other SEC schools in the top 10, including Georgia, Arkansas, Missouri, Auburn and Texas A&M.

The Tigers are looking to bolster its 2025 receiver group following Dakorien Moore’s decommitment. If [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag] manage to land Wright, LSU would have Louisiana’s top two 2025 receivers with Edna Karr’s TaRon Francis already in the fold.

The On3 Prediction Machine indicates LSU has some work to do with Wright. Michigan is the leading candidate at 42%, followed by Baylor at 28%, with LSU coming in third at 8.4%.

Wright is a standout on the Louisiana track circuit too, running a 10.62 100-meter as early as his sophomore year.

Rivals and On3 both rank Wright as one of the state’s top 10 recruits. Positionally, 247Sports is the highest on Wright, slotting him in the top 30 among receiving prospects.

LSU’s 2025 class ranks second in the country, trailing only Ohio State.

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How good can LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy be in 2024?

After a good spring, receiver Kyren Lacy is primed for a breakout year.

LSU sent two more first-round wide receivers to the NFL this year with [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] going on day one. That’s always a good look for a program. Especially one like LSU that’s made a habit of creating star receivers.

But losing two players of that caliber at the same position in the same year is tough to replace. Nabers and Thomas combined for 2,746 yards in 2023. Together, they created 54 plays of 20+ yards or more and 31 touchdowns. The offense was automatic at times with these two on the field.

With an opportunity at wide receiver, the spring spotlight was on [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag]. The coaching staff was impressed. Not just with what he did in practice, but his maturity across the board.

“The level of consistency he’s shown from the bowl game, into how he’s attacked the weight room, to how he’s been a leader and holding other players accountable, teaching young players what we do and how we do things,” co-offensive coordinator [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] said. “That is process that shows up at practice and shows up on Saturday.”

Head coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] offered a similar sentiment, saying Lacy used to be distracted at times but found “the right zone” to be in when it comes to practice and preparation.

Lacy transferred to LSU in 2022 after beginning his career at Louisiana. In a run-heavy offense, Lacy racked up 674 yards and 10 touchdowns in Lafayette.

But Lacy’s ability was evident when you turned on the tape, making plays against Power Four-level teams like Texas.

The yards-after-catch ability put on display in the above clip came to life at LSU last year with Lacy averaging 7.1 yards after the catch. That ranked fourth in the SEC among receivers with 30+ catches.

What LSU needs is a receiver to create big plays close to the rate Nabers and Thomas did last year. There’s reason to believe Lacy can do that. His 18.6 yards per catch ranked third among qualified SEC receivers.

When Lacy first arrived at LSU, he wasn’t a complete player. The route tree was limited and there were drop issues. He made progress last year posting career bests in receptions, yards, and touchdowns.

Lacy shined at spring practice and LSU’s expecting another jump. This room is his now with Nabers and Thomas gone.

He’s a fifth-year senior who’s worked with some of the best receiver minds in the country between his time playing for Billy Napier at Louisiana and his work with [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag] at LSU. All the tools are there for Lacy to be a 1,000-yard receiver and All-SEC caliber player.

“Kyren’s gonna make plays, but the maturity, the ability to use your emotion as your strength and the ability to be consistent day in and day out, that’s gonna carry over, and now we see his talent show up every single play,” Sloan said.

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What are fair expectations for LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier in 2024?

What are fair expectations for Garrett Nussmeier as he takes over as LSU’s starter?

Following in the footsteps of a Heisman Trophy winner is hard, but that’s what LSU quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] will attempt to do in 2024.

Nussmeier signed with LSU in 2021 and waited his turn. He didn’t hit the portal, passing up opportunities to start elsewhere in favor of remaining at LSU.

Setting expectations for a first-time starter is hard. Nussmeier provided a decent sample size after throwing 219 passes in three years at LSU and starting the bowl game against Wisconsin. He’s left us with few questions about his ability.

He can work all areas of the field and operate the offense in different game situations. Nuss has shown off the clutch gene too, leading LSU to a game-winning drive in the ReliaQuest Bowl. All of that was enough for oddsmakers to give Nussmeier the eighth-best odds to win the Heisman.

You get the point. Expectations are high. The fanbase expects Nussmeier to step in and continue the high-octane offense of 2023, even if the numbers are slightly less gaudy.

But while there aren’t many questions about Nussmeier’s talent level, some still remain about the offense. Nussmeier won’t be the only new thing on that side of the ball.

The Tigers have a new play-caller with [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] getting promoted after previous offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] left for Notre Dame. On the outside, LSU is replacing two of the best receivers in LSU history with [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] off to the NFL. At running back, LSU will be relying on a group of talented, but unproven underclassmen.

That can be tough for a first-time starter to deal with. But for all the changes, there’s plenty of continuity. Sloan was Nussmeier’s position coach for two years prior to the promotion. Sloan along with co-offensive coordinator [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag] have been integral parts of the offense since the staff arrived in 2022.

Up front, LSU returns one of the best offensive lines in the country with the potential first-round picks at tackle and two veteran guards. Not many first-time starters get to play behind an offensive line of this caliber.

And despite the lack of returning production at receiver, LSU is talented at the position with veterans [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag], [autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]CJ Daniels[/autotag] along with a deep tight-end group led by [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag].

Which brings us to the question: Are expectations too high?

In short, probably not. If the bowl game was any indication, another big year is in store for the LSU offense.

Expecting Nussmeier to put up numbers similar to [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag] might be a bit much, but he doesn’t need to win the Heisman to be an effective quarterback.

It’s been a long time since LSU seamlessly transitioned from quarterback to quarterback, especially one that started their career at LSU like Nussmeier did, but right now, the Tigers appear on track to continue their offensive momentum.

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LSU has the talent on offense to remain elite in 2024, Brian Kelly says

The Tigers’ offense lost almost all of its production from 2023 this offseason.

LSU’s offense in 2023 was perhaps the best we’ve seen in program history, aside from the national title-winning group in 2019. But as the Tigers prepare for Year 3 under [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] in 2024, almost all of the talent from that group has moved on.

That includes a Heisman-winning quarterback in [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag]. Now, it’s finally Garrett Nussmeier’s turn to take over after three seasons of waiting as a backup.

Nussmeier has seen some significant game action but has only made one start. Still, Kelly thinks Nussmeier has all the tools to be successful, once he gets a bit more game experience, according to USA TODAY Sports’ Blake Toppmeyer.

“He loves to play football. He just eats this up. He eats it and drinks it and sleeps it. The players love him. He’s committed. He’s got leadership capabilities. More than anything else, you have a guy that loves the big moments. He relishes this opportunity to be here at LSU. He loves LSU. He had a chance to be probably the most sought-after quarterback last year, and he turned that down to stay here.

“So, when you have a guy who loves to be where he’s at, and he’s committed himself, and now you see how he goes out and plays this game with such a passion. That’s exciting for a coach to see a guy that’s all in. In this world of, ‘What’s in it for me?’ he’s in it because he just loves to play the game.”

Nussmeier has a cannon of an arm and has earned a reputation as a bit of a gunslinger, though he doesn’t bring the same dual-threat element as Daniels, who rushed for more than 1,100 yards in 2023, leading the team.

The Tigers will need to get more out of their stable of running backs than they have in the first two seasons under Kelly, but that will be made easier by a loaded offensive line that returns four of five starters headlined by [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag], who could end up being the best offensive tackle in the nation this season.

Perhaps the biggest question on the offensive side of the ball has to do with the receiving corps, however. [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] — the program’s all-time leading receiver — and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], who led the nation in receiving touchdowns in 2023, are both moving on.

The receiver room is far from bare as the Tigers return players who could be poised to break out like Thomas did this past season in [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] and [autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag], as well as [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag]. The Tigers also added a pair of transfer receivers in [autotag]CJ Daniels[/autotag] and [autotag]Zavion Thomas[/autotag], and they’ll hope to see continued development from redshirt freshman [autotag]Shelton Sampson Jr.[/autotag]

Kelly said that Nabers and Thomas’ production will have to be replaced in the aggregate.

“The sum has to be greater than any one of its parts. You’re not going to replace those guys individually. You have to replace them collectively. So, let’s say the quarterback position, Jayden Daniels and his ability to run, we’re not going to replace that. We’re going to have to lean on our offensive line, our running back and our quarterback and our receivers to do a great job on the perimeter blocking to have a more effective running game. So, it’s a collective approach in that respect.

“We’re going to rely on seven receivers to make up for the loss of two. The sum will have to be greater than any one of the parts, because you’re not going to replace individually three first-round draft picks. Could we have some guys that have individually great performances? Yeah. I think Kyren Lacy is pretty good. I think there’s some guys that are evolving into a bigger role. Chris Hilton looks like he’s got what it takes.”

With questions remaining on the defensive side of the ball under new coordinator [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag], LSU will hope the offense continues to produce under new co-coordinators [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] and [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag], who were promoted from within after [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] left for the same role at Notre Dame.

Read the full interview with Brian Kelly from USA TODAY Sports by clicking here.

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