Tag: Jontre Kirklin

Giants workout a pair of wide receivers

The New York Giants worked out wide receivers Jontre Kirklin and D.J. Montgomery on Thursday.

With Jeff Smith (knee) and Parris Campbell (knee) each dealing with an injury, the New York Giants hosted a pair of wide receivers for workouts on Thursday.

Both Jontre Kirklin and D.J. Montgomery made their way to East Rutherford and for Kirklin, it was his second time. He had also worked out for the Giants last October.

The 6-foot, 184-pound Kirklin originally signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent out of LSU in 2022. He didn’t stick and despite some interest from other NFL teams, he ended up in the XFL during their 2023 season.

Kirklin was leading the Houston Roughnecks with 15 receptions for 253 yards and four touchdowns before suffering a chest injury on March 16 and sitting out the remainder of the year.

In addition to wide receiver, the multi-threat Kirklin can also play quarterback, running back and defensive back.

The 6-foot-1, 201-pound Montgomery was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent out of Austin Peay in 2019. He quickly became a journeyman, making stops with the New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans before joining the USFL’s Michigan Panthers on June 1.

In three career NFL games (all with the Jets), Montgomery has recorded three receptions for 36 yards and two first downs.

Neither Kirklin or Montgomery were immediately signed to a contract.

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The 8 moments that defined LSU athletics in 2022

2022 was quite a year on the bayou.

It was a wild year for LSU.

We saw coaches get fired and hired. Hearts were broken by blocked extra-points and put back together with game-winning two-point conversions. There were improbable comebacks and squandered opportunities.

New arrivals, like [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] and [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag], excelled on the field and on the court. Meanwhile, bona fide stars like baseball’s [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] and gym’s [autotag]Haleigh Bryant[/autotag] did their thing, too.

Stories about NIL and the transfer portal dominated the discussion around college sports, and it was no different at LSU with football and baseball signing transfer after transfer and gym’s [autotag]Olivia Dunne[/autotag] signing NIL deal after NIL deal.

Here’s a look at the stories that defined LSU in 2022.

COLUMN: Inconsistent LSU team should be defined by its highs

LSU might get smoked on Saturday, and going from playoff contender to 9-4 in just the span of two weeks can be demoralizing, but it shouldn’t take away from the advances this staff and group made in 2022.

LSU wasn’t supposed to be here.

Nick Saban had one of his most talented and experienced rosters. Jimbo Fisher was getting ready to turn the corner at Texas A&M. In Mississippi, Lane Kiffin and Mike Leach had established programs.

LSU was rebuilding under a first-year coach. Nobody expected this team to win the west. Yet, it did, and here we are. This version of LSU, just as so many previous renditions have been, is volatile.

You never know which team is going to show up. The one that beat Alabama or the one that got rolled by Texas A&M. Against a juggernaut like Georgia, it might not matter. LSU has to play the game of its life to have a chance in this one.

This is LSU. The standard is winning national championships. The players know that and [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] does too.

But this team shouldn’t be defined by its lows, but by its highs.

It’s still hard to believe this LSU team is playing this weekend. This roster was worn thin when Kelly took over. It was coming off a bowl loss where [autotag]Jontre Kirklin[/autotag] had to play quarterback for a team with 39 scholarship players.

That’s full rebuild state. Plugging a few holes in the transfer portal shouldn’t suddenly boost a program back into contention.

And in some ways, it didn’t. LSU’s loss last weekend revealed the Tigers aren’t ready to be part of the national picture. This is a good team, but not an elite one. Elite teams are consistent, and this LSU team is anything but.

As I’ve said all year, LSU’s playing with house money. Losses confirmed what we thought, that this team is rebuilding, while wins meant the program was ahead of schedule.

Saturday is no different. LSU will get to see how it stacks up against the nation’s best, but its safe to presume that gap is a little wide.

There are no moral victories at LSU and the standard is too high to take the “we’re just happy to be here” route, but making this game is something this team and fan base should be proud of.

Winning your division matters. If it’s all about the process of getting back to a national championship, this is just one step.

LSU might get smoked on Saturday and going from playoff contender to 9-4 in just the span of two weeks can be demoralizing, but it shouldn’t take away from the advances this staff and group made.

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Giants worked out Jake Fromm, AJ McCarron and 6 others

The New York Giants worked out eight players over the past two days, including quarterbacks Jake Fromm and AJ McCarron.

From Monday afternoon into Tuesday afternoon, the New York Giants held a series of workouts and visits. Among those in attendance was the team’s former safety, Landon Collins.

Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was also in town, although he was not visiting on any official NFL business.

With Daniel Jones (ankle) and Tyrod Taylor (concussion) both injured, the Giants also hosted a slew of quarterbacks on a tryout basis, just as head coach Brian Daboll said they would.

The group, led by ex-Giant Jake Fromm, also included former Alabama standout AJ McCarron and another former Giant, Brian Lewerke.

Fromm famously took over for an injured Jones and veteran Mike Glennon last season in a game that saw him run back-to-back quarterback sneaks to clear room for the punter. That decision ultimately cost head coach Joe Judge his job.

But Fromm does have familiarity with both general manager Joe Schoen and the aforementioned Daboll from their time in Buffalo. Lewerke was also in East Rutherford when that duo took over earlier this year, but was ultimately waived in mid-May.

In addition to the quarterbacks, the Giants also had wide receivers Victor Bolden and Jontre Kirklin, guard Solomon Kindley, and linebacker Ulysees Gilbert in for workouts.

None of the players were immediately signed to a contract but that may change on Wednesday. The Giants may also circle back on Collins once their forced roster shuffling comes to an end.

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Cardinals cut WR Jontre Kirklin from practice squad

The team did not announce another roster move but it might be related to a Colt McCoy injury.

The Arizona Cardinals made a roster move on the practice squad that went unannounced Tuesday. It appeared on the NFL transaction list.

The team released receiver Jontre Kirklin from the practice squad. No corresponding move was made, but quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, who was with the team in training camp and the offseason, had a visit.

With backup quarterback Colt McCoy dealing with an injury that kept him from practicing Monday, they perhaps are looking to add another quarterback for practice.

Kirklin signed with the team as an undrafted rookie in May after playing collegiately at LSU.

He scored two touchdowns in the preseason but did not make the final roster. He was signed to the practice squad last week.

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Texas Bowl: Handing out game balls for LSU and Kansas State

Which players stood out in the Texas Bowl?

The LSU Tigers football team never had a chance; Kansas State beat them 42-20 in the Texas bowl. LSU was missing a lot of players due to many reasons and could not overcome it. Now the Brian Kelly Era will begin. Here are the players of the game of both teams; it was hard choosing for LSU. 

Game balls

LSU

Jontre Kirklin, a receiver, was thrown in the quarterback position in the Bowl game. Kirklin passed for 138 yards, three touchdowns, including an 81-yard touchdown pass to Chris Hilton Jr. to end the game. Kirklin also threw two interceptions. All night, Kirklin was throwing the ball up for grabs, and LSU receivers came down with the ball a few times. Kirklin also rushed for 61 yards, giving him 199 total yards for the game.

Defensive back Pig Cage had six tackles, three TFLs, and one sack. He played well Tigers, it’s pretty amazing that a defensive back has three tackles for a loss.

Kansas State

Quarterback Skylar Thompson passed for 259 yards and three touchdowns. Thompson was under pressure early in the game but scrambled and was able to find open receivers down the field. He completed 75% of his passes and had a 188.1 passer rating. 

LSU’s defense did an ok job holding Deuce Vaughn in check to start the game, but as the game went on, Vaughn got it going. He finished with 146 yards in 21 carries and three touchdowns. His long was 48 yards, and Vaughn averaged seven yards per rush.

Instant Analysis: Five takeaways from LSU’s loss to Kansas State

Instant takeaways from the 42-20 loss in the Texas Bowl.

What was a ugly season for LSU came to an ugly end Tuesday night in the Texas Bowl.

Kansas State jumped out to a 21-0 lead and never looked back. It was not a good night for LSU in any phase of the game.

But to be fair, with all the roster issues LSU is experiencing, nobody expected it would be. The offense never found any rhythm, the defense couldn’t get off the field, and even special teams gave up some big returns.

On the other side, Kansas State had it clicking. Quarterback Skylar Thompson had one of the best games of his career and running back Deuce Vaughn once again went over 100 yards. On defense, Kansas State was able to force some turnovers that set up a couple scores as well.

It wasn’t just LSU’s roster that was shorthanded, but their coaching staff was too. LSU had to rely on analysts and graduate assistants to have a full staff in Houston tonight.

In a lot of ways, this was an end of an era for LSU as they will now try and put a lot of the ugliness of the last two years behind them. Next time they take the field, they will be led by Brian Kelly.

For now, let’s take a look at some takeaway’s from tonight’s loss.

WATCH: Jontre Kirklin finds Jaray Jenkins for the touchdown

Kirklin able to find Jenkins for the score.

It hasn’t been pretty for the LSU Tigers in the Texas Bowl. After the first two drives resulted in just six plays and an interception by Jontre Kirklin, the Bayou Bengals found themselves down 21-0 late in the second quarter.

The offense finally was able to find a little bit of traction after starting the drive from their own 10-yard line. Kirklin and the offense were able to get a little bit of momentum on that side of the ball.

Facing a second and 15 from the 23-yard line, the Tigers finally broke through on the scoreboard. Kirklin was able to find a fellow wide receiver Jaray Jenkins in the endzone for the first LSU score of the night. That narrowed the lead to just 14 points.

The Tigers will get the ball to start the second half. If they can find a way to get another score, we could have ourselves a ballgame. Their defense needs to find a way to either get off the field or create turnovers for the offense.

Through one half of play, the Kirklin has 61 yards of offense with the lone touchdown.

LSU vs Kansas State: Five reasons for Tigers optimism in the Texas Bowl

How do the Tigers come away with a win?

Just one more day until the LSU Tigers finally takes the field against the Kansas State Wildcats in the final non-championship bowl game of the 2021 campaign.

The team comes limping in with a very depleted roster, but it is ample opportunity for a lot of the younger players to see the field. While the offensive will likely be mostly the same group they expected to start the season with, the other positions have a little different feel to them.

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The Tigers look to finish with a high note as they prepare for a new era of LSU football. Sitting at 6-6, they can either finish with a winning record or a losing one for the first time since 1999.

We will stick to the former here with five reasons the team finds a way to win in Houston.

Jontre Kirklin, Jack Bech lead list of key players in the Texas Bowl

Who are key players for LSU in the bowl game? We have a few nominees

The Texas Bowl between the LSU Tigers and Kansas State Wildcats is less than a week away. At this point, it is unclear who exactly will be available for either team given opt-outs, injuries, and the dreaded COVID-19. Despite all of that interim head coach Brad Davis is looking forward to the opportunity of leading his team out onto the field at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

We are still awaiting any confirmation on whether or not Garrett Nussmeier will be able to start this game and maintain his redshirt status. If the waiver is denied there are a couple of contingencies on the table for Davis and the Tigers.

Will it be one of the walk-on quarterbacks in Matt O’Dowd or Savion Faulk? Will it be a wildcat quarterback in Jontre Kirklin? The veteran wide receiver hasn’t played quarterback since high school but he might be the best option for the team given who is available.

As we look towards the bowl game, we are highlighting five players who are keys to the game.