Tag: Kyren Lacy

LSU receives prediction for 4-star 2024 wide receiver

Jelani Watkins could be heading to Baton Rouge, based on this recent projection.

On3 LSU insider Shea Dixon has predicted that 2024 four-star wide receiver Jelani Watkins will commit to LSU.

Watkins is a 5-foot-9, 150-pound speedster from Houston where he plays for Klein Forest High School. Watkins holds offers from multiple Division I schools, and Texas A&M, Oregon and Michigan were all considered to be in the running to land him.

LSU currently has three wide receiver commitments for the 2024 class, four-stars [autotag]Joseph Stone[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Turner[/autotag], and three-star [autotag]Kylan Billiot[/autotag]. The Tigers class currently ranks as the No. 8 class in the country according to 247Sports.

With [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] and possibly [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] moving on after next fall, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is trying to find some guys that can fill the void that those two players will leave.

There are promising guys on the team already ([autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Shelton Sampson Jr.[/autotag]) who can try to fill those roles, but you never know if any players will live up to their full potential.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1389]

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

Malik Nabers among the SEC’s top receivers in 2023

College Sports Wire is high on Nabers entering 2023.

LSU has a number of players poised for potential breakouts in 2023, but few have garnered more national anticipation than [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag].

Nabers had a promising true freshman season in 2021, but he really took things up a notch last fall. He quickly became the favored target of new quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], and that allowed him to finish the season beyond the 1,000-yard threshold, though he only had three touchdowns.

While a campaign like that will be hard to top, many see him as one of the best (if not the best) receivers in the SEC this season. In College Sports Wire’s rankings, Nabers sits in second behind only South Carolina’s Antwane “Juice” Wells, who also had a breakout 2022 season.

2022 Stats:

Rec Yards YPR TDs
72 1,017 14.1 3

Why The Ranking:

Nabers emerged as WR1 last season after Kayshon Boutte’s disappointing season in 2022. Nabers and new quarterback Jayden Daniels built quite a rapport last season and I look forward to seeing how it grows for the upcoming season.

With LSU losing [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] and veteran [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag], Nabers could be poised to see a bigger role. Other talented pass-catchers like [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Chris Hilton[/autotag], [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] and tight end [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] remain, but Nabers should be the most targeted of that group once again.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1389]

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

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

LSU’s tight end outlook is one of the best in college football per On3

After adding two blue-chips in the 2023 cycle to pair with Mason Taylor, the future is bright at tight end for the Tigers.

When coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] got to LSU, it was clear he had a lot of work to do in the tight end room.

Both Kelly and Tigers offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag], who has worked under Kelly in the past, like to utilize the tight ends in the offense. They run a lot of 12 personnel with multiple tight ends on the field, but LSU’s roster was severely limited at the position.

Now, a year later, that has changed considerably. [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] had a breakout true freshman season. Though his production won’t blow anyone away, his role increased considerably down the stretch and he made some big plays, namely the game-winning two-point conversion catch against Alabama.

The Tigers signed two blue-chip tight ends in 2023 in [autotag]Mac Markway[/autotag] and [autotag]Ka’Morreun Pimpton[/autotag], a signing day flip from Vanderbilt. With four-star [autotag]Tayvion Galloway[/autotag] committed in 2024, the future is bright at the position.

On3’s Jesse Simonton ranked the unit ninth in the country entering 2023.

Mason Taylor returns as one of the better tight ends in the SEC in 2023, as the sophomore made a number of big-time plays for the Tigers last season — namely his 2-point conversion to beat Alabama.

LSU would love to run more two-tight end sets in 2023, and now they might have the personnel to do that with more effectiveness after signing a trio of freshmen at the position — led by 4-stars Ka’Morreun Pimpton and Mac Markway.

LSU returns a lot of pass-catchers in 2023, and with players like [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag], [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag], Taylor may not see a huge uptick in targets. Still, he should see an even bigger role as he could become the next great tight end Kelly produces.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1389]

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

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

[mm-video type=video id=01gzck1r17jdt5ftsj18 playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01f1jz1vgtfhzk6ner image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gzck1r17jdt5ftsj18/01gzck1r17jdt5ftsj18-40699b2e017bdc0e75adf983536e7a7b.jpg]

LSU boasts one of the nation’s best receiver units entering 2023 season

On3 ranked LSU’s receiving corps third in the country behind Ohio State and Texas.

LSU returns a lot of production from a year ago, especially on offense. But perhaps no position group on the entire team enters the 2023 campaign with higher expectations than the receiving corps.

Though the unit lost two main contributors to the draft in [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag] (as well as [autotag]Jack Bech[/autotag] in the transfer portal), this group brings back leading receiver [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] as well as productive players like [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag], who had a massive spring game.

[autotag]Chris Hilton[/autotag] is also back from a season-ending injury last year, and the Tigers added Alabama transfer and former five-star prospect [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag]. They also signed a pair of blue-chip true freshmen.

With all these pieces and a quarterback with four years of starting experience to throw them the ball, expectations are high for the LSU passing game. On3’s Jesse Simonton ranked the unit third in the country behind only Ohio State and Texas.

One of the reasons folks are high on the Tigers in 2023 is their stacked set of playmakers at receiver.

Malik Nabers led the SEC in receiving last season, and could be even better this fall with the growth of quarterback Jayden Daniels. Other headliners in LSU’s wideout room include Brian Thomas, Kyren Lacy, a spring standout, Chris Hilton and Alabama transfer Aaron Anderson.

The Tigers also have a pair of Top-100 freshmen signees pushing for playing time in Jalen Brown and Shelton Sampson.

With Nabers potentially poised to become one of the best receivers in the country and [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag]’ emergence toward the end of last season, it’s understandable why many think this group could take a leap forward this season.

Alabama has a lot of questions as it has to replace a number of players including two of the top three picks in the 2023 NFL draft. If LSU’s passing game is as good as advertised, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] could have this team in a position to repeat as SEC West champions.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1389]

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

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

[mm-video type=video id=01gzck1r17jdt5ftsj18 playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01f1jz1vgtfhzk6ner image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gzck1r17jdt5ftsj18/01gzck1r17jdt5ftsj18-40699b2e017bdc0e75adf983536e7a7b.jpg]

LSU wide receiver named a spring practice standout by On3

Kyren Lacy could be poised for a breakout in his second season with the Tigers. 

[autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] transferred to LSU last year after spending two seasons playing for the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns.

In 14 games as a Tiger last year, he hauled in 24 passes for 268 yards. He spent last season mastering the new offensive scheme. This year, with the loss of [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag], the Tigers need another wide receiver to step up for them.

Lacy proved that he could be that guy during the spring game last weekend. He ended the game with four receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown came off of a tremendous one-handed catch and a lot of broken tackles as he streaked down the field.

Those stats earned him a spot on On3’s spring practice standouts list.

Lacy delivered one of the top plays of spring game season during LSU’s spring game on Saturday, an acrobatic, leaping one-handed catch that he turned into a 70-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown. It capped an impressive spring for the 6-foot-2, 212-pound Lacy, a former Louisiana transfer who recorded 24 catches for 268 yards last year in his first season at LSU. “He’s come a long way,” a source said. Lacy had totals of 50 catches, 668 yards and 10 touchdowns in two seasons at Louisiana before transferring to the Tigers.

Hopefully, Lacy can carry the momentum from the spring into the fall as LSU looks to win back-to-back SEC West titles.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1389]

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

[mm-video type=video id=01gx3vb07gxv0hy3z96s playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01f1jz1vgtfhzk6ner image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gx3vb07gxv0hy3z96s/01gx3vb07gxv0hy3z96s-de72a8f131d997d2c89a683bba155960.jpg]

Everything Brian Kelly said following LSU’s 2023 spring game

Here’s what Kelly said when discussing his second spring camp in Baton Rouge with the media on Saturday.

The Tigers concluded their spring practice on Saturday in front of the LSU faithful in an exhibition game.

In a game that ended in a 32-32 tie between the offense and defense, fans were treated to some big-time highlight plays including a 70-yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage that was made possible by a fantastic one-handed catch from [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag].

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] took the podium after the game to discuss the scrimmage and his second spring camp in Baton Rouge. He covered a wide range of topics, including the quarterbacks’ performance, offensive line depth, additions on defense and his philosophy entering his second season.

Here’s everything Kelly said to the media after the spring game.

Photos from LSU’s 2023 spring football game

The Tigers concluded spring ball with an open exhibition on Saturday.

Spring practice is now in the rearview as we prepare to turn our attention to the summer, SEC Media Days and, eventually, fall camp.

To conclude spring ball, LSU held its annual scrimmage at Tiger Stadium on Saturday where we got the first look at the team that will look to defend last season’s SEC West title in 2023.

It was an impressive game for both quarterbacks in [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] while some newcomers on defense shined. Receivers [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] also look ready to step up and provide options behind [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag].

We learned quite a bit on Saturday, at least for an intrasquad exhibition. Here were the best photos from LSU’s spring game.

Stock Up, Stock Down: LSU’s 2023 spring game

Here’s where things are trending as LSU wrapped up spring ball on Saturday.

It was a beautiful day for a spring game in Baton Rouge as [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and the LSU faithful got a chance to check out this year’s iteration of the LSU Tigers.

It’s only a spring game, so let’s not try to overreact either way. With that being said, let’s take a look at five things that I saw in the spring game.

We’ll talk about how I think LSU is in a great spot as far as signal callers are concerned. [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] looked great on Saturday.

[autotag]Fitzgerald West Jr.[/autotag] is making his impact felt on the defensive side of the ball. [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] showed that he could be the No. 2 guy to [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag].

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I think the run game could use some work.

Twitter reactions from LSU’s 2023 spring football scrimmage

It was an exciting day in Baton Rouge as the Tigers capped off their spring practice.

LSU ended its spring camp on a high note on Saturday with a public scrimmage in front of the Tigers faithful.

Fans were treated to a couple of impressive highlight plays — namely a one-handed grab from [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] that led to a 70-yard touchdown as well as a pick-six from true freshman linebacker [autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag].

Quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] impressed leading the first-team offense, while backup [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] wasn’t shabby with the second-teamers, either. Both threw two touchdown passes and were very efficient.

There was also a lot of star power on hand for the game with [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag], [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag], [autotag]Justin Jefferson[/autotag], [autotag]Marcus Spears[/autotag] and [autotag]Clyde Edwards-Helaire[/autotag] in attendance, to name a few.

Here were the reactions online from LSU alumni, fans and media.

Instant analysis from LSU’s 2023 spring game

You can only learn so much from spring, but the Tigers checked the main boxes in Saturday’s exhibition.

We got our first look at the 2023 LSU team on Saturday as the team took the field at Tiger Stadium for a scrimmage after going through warmups and some situational drills.

With the offense pitted against the defense, the game finished in a 32-32 tie, but quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] impressed leading the first-team offense, completing 10 of 11 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns.

He started the game on a high note, finding [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] for a 70-yard touchdown after Lacy made a fantastic one-handed catch on the first play from scrimmage. Daniels also found true freshman running back Trey Holly, who also led all running backs with 26 yards, on a touchdown pass out of the backfield.

While Daniels and the starters looked good, [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] did a fine job working with the second team unit. He completed five of eight passes for 139 yards, and he had two touchdowns of his own.

One went to [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] — who finished second behind Lacy in receiving with 66 yards on three catches — on an in route in the end zone. He also found [autotag]Landon Ibieta[/autotag] on a nice catch-and-run play.

Defensively, several newcomers were impressive. Oregon transfer [autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag] had a sack as did early enrollee true freshman [autotag]Jaxon Howard[/autotag]. True freshman linebacker [autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag], younger brother of [autotag]West Weeks[/autotag], took an interception off true freshman quarterback [autotag]Rickie Collins[/autotag] to the house.

Collins struggled in his first action, completing just three of seven passes for 25 yards and no touchdowns. He did show off his mobility, however. He wasn’t wearing a non-contact jersey and went for 19 yards on five carries.

Only so much can be learned from a spring game, but the Tigers looked as solid as you would hope entering Brian Kelly’s second season. Stay tuned to LSU Wire for more content from the Tigers’ spring game.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1389]

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

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

[mm-video type=video id=01gx3vb07gxv0hy3z96s playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gx3vb07gxv0hy3z96s/01gx3vb07gxv0hy3z96s-de72a8f131d997d2c89a683bba155960.jpg]