Tag: LSU Football

Former LSU WR Jarvis Landry invited to Jaguars rookie minicamp

Jarvis Landry is attempting a return to the NFL after taking 2023 off.

After being out of the league in 2023 as he rehabbed an ankle injury, [autotag]Jarvis Landry[/autotag] is looking to make his return to the NFL.

Landry was invited to join the Jacksonville Jaguars for their rookie minicamp, where he will work out with the team and hope to land a spot on the roster, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

The 31-year-old is a five-time Pro Bowler but hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since 2019.

A former second-round pick by the Dolphins, Landry spent the first four seasons of his career in Miami before spending the next four in Cleveland. He signed with the New Orleans Saints in 2022, appearing in nine games with three starts.

He totaled 272 yards and a touchdown on 25 catches before he was placed on injured reserve in December.

He’ll get the chance to work alongside former LSU players [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Jefferson[/autotag], who were all drafted by Jacksonville this past weekend.

Now finally healthy, Landry will hope to make an impression on the Jaguars’ brass when he participates in the rookie minicamp, which will take place next month.

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LSU QB commit Bryce Underwood shines in 7-on-7 camp

LSU commit Bryce Underwood put on a display in a seven-on-seven tournament in Orlando.

[autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag], the top quarterback and overall recruit in the country, is the crown jewel of LSU’s 2025 recruiting class.

When Underwood signs, he’ll become the top-rated QB recruit in LSU’s history. He put that talent on display over the weekend with a standout seven-on-seven performance in Orlando.

Underwood connected with fellow LSU commit [autotag]Harlem Berry[/autotag] several times throughout the weekend, including this one here, with Underwood delivering a ball over traffic and Berry making the contested catch for a score.

Berry is ranked as the top recruit in Louisiana by all four major recruiting services and is a five-star, according to On3’s Industry Ranking.

Berry wasn’t the only Louisiana product putting on a show. Here, Underwood connects with University High’s Zay Martin for a score. Martin holds offers from Nicholls, FIU and Georgia Tech.

Underwood committed to LSU in January. He’s a consensus five-star and a big reason why the Tigers have the No. 2 ranked class in the country.

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Jayden Daniels wants to change the culture in Washington

Daniels won 10 games in his final two seasons at LSU. The last time the Washington Commanders won 10 games in a season was in 2012.

With the second pick of the 2024 NFL draft, the Washington Commanders selected LSU quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag].

Last season at LSU, Daniels won the Heisman Trophy after having one of the greatest seasons in LSU quarterback history. Daniels started in 12 games for the Tigers and he threw for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He had a completion percentage of 72.2%.

He was the best quarterback in the country last season and two of his wide receivers joined him in the first round as [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] were both taken in the first round as well.

After being drafted by the Commanders, Daniels was asked about what he wanted to accomplish during his first season.

“I’m very confident,” Daniels said. “Obviously, it’s a new regime there and, you know, I’m excited just to come in and really just change the culture and help the team win in each and every way that I can. Come in, work hard and we’ll see where the course takes itself.”

Daniels won 10 games in his final two seasons at LSU. The last time the Washington Commanders won 10 games in a season was in 2012. The Commanders have made the playoffs two times since then so they are hoping Daniels can revive their franchise.

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Lions end Mekhi Wingo’s 2024 NFL draft slide, pick him in sixth round

Mekhi Wingo lasted longer than many expected, but he’ll join a loaded roster in Detroit.

It took a bit longer than a lot of pre-draft projections were expecting, but [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] became the sixth LSU player selected in the 2024 NFL draft on Saturday when he was taken with the 189th pick in the sixth round by the Detroit Lions.

Wingo was widely seen as an early Day 3 or even potentially a late Day 2 pick, but instead, he slid to the draft’s penultimate round likely due to concerns about his size at 6-foot.

A transfer from Missouri, Wingo became an All-SEC player in two seasons at LSU and was largely the anchor of the defensive line, particularly stepping up in 2022 when fellow draft pick [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] went down with an ACL tear in the season opener.

Wingo appeared in 22 games with 20 starts in two seasons at LSU, totaling 71 tackles (11 for loss), 7.5 sacks and four pass breakups. He earned Third Team All-American and Second Team All-SEC honors in 2022 but was limited to just eight appearances in 2023 as he went down with an injury against Auburn.

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DT Jordan Jefferson drafted in 4th round, becomes 3rd LSU player selected by Jaguars

Jordan Jefferson is joining Brian Thomas Jr. and Maason Smith in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars are importing the bayou to northeast Florida, it seems.

Jacksonville selected LSU defensive tackle [autotag]Jordan Jefferson[/autotag] with the 116th pick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft on Saturday, making him the third former Tiger the team has picked this weekend.

He joins first-round selection [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] and second-round selection [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] in Duval. The move will also pair him and Smith up once again with former LSU defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag], who was hired as the Jags’ linebackers coach this offseason.

Jefferson spent just one season at LSU as a graduate transfer from West Virginia. He began the season as a rotational player but became a starter when [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] went down with injury.

 

Jefferson appeared in 13 games with six starts at LSU in 2023, totaling 36 tackles (seven for loss) and 2.5 sacks.

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Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow set to square off in 2024

Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow will square off in 2024 as the Commanders and Bengals are set to face off.

[autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] followed in Joe Burrow’s footsteps at LSU. Just five years after Burrow’s historic season, Daniels posted similar numbers, joining Burrow in the Heisman club before going on to be one of the top picks in the NFL draft.

It won’t be long before the two are on the same field. The NFC East and AFC North are set to face each other this fall, meaning we’ll get a Commanders vs. Bengals matchup.

We don’t know the exact date yet with the schedules yet to be released, but we know it’ll take place in Cincinnati.

With Burrow and Daniels playing in different conferences, meetings between the two will be rare, but the game this year is an opportunity for LSU to put its quarterback talent on display.

The franchises are at different stages with the Bengals hoping to contend for a Super Bowl and Washington with a first-year head coach and quarterback, so Burrow could have the upperhand in this one.

Daniels is the lone former Tiger with Washington, but the game should also feature former LSU star receiver [autotag]Ja’Marr Chase[/autotag].

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LSU WRs coach Cortez Hankton surprises Malik Nabers with video at draft

Malik Nabers was surprised with a message from LSU receivers coach Cortez Hankton following his selection.

Shortly after being selected by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, former LSU receiver was greeted by a surprise video from LSU receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag].

The video was part of a series done by the NFL where several first-round picks were greeted with a message from someone who helped get them to this point.

Hankton begins with, “Dear Malik, I’m proud of you. Proud of you as a coach, a mentor, but more importantly as family.”

“In life, when the opportunity presents itself, we should all show gratitude to those who we deeply care about,” Hankton said.

“This is only the beginning and now it’s time to get back to work. Through this walk of life, I’ll be here for you, always and forever. I’ll have your back,” Hankton told Nabers.

Hankton thanked Nabers for allowing him to share this experience and said “it was a blessing” to coach him.

“He’s one of the reasons why I’m one of those great LSU receivers,” Nabers said after watching Hankton’s message.

Nabers signed with LSU before Hankton arrived, but he developed a relationship with Hankton while being recruited by Georgia, Hankton’s previous stop.

With Hankton at LSU, Nabers took his game to the next level, surpassing 1,000 yards in back-to-back years.

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2025 5-star safety lists LSU in his top 7

The Tigers made the cut for the top safety in the 2025 class.

The No. 1 safety in the 2025 recruiting class has narrowed his list of final schools down to just seven. [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and the LSU Tigers made the final cut.

LSU joins Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas A&M, Ohio State, USC and Texas as the seven schools that are still in the running for [autotag]Jonah Williams[/autotag]. Williams is a 6-foot-3, 205-pound, five-star safety from Galveston, Texas where he plays for Ball High School.

At this time, Oklahoma has received multiple Crystal Ball projections to land Williams on 247Sports and the Sooners are a 94% favorite to land him per On3.

LSU’s 2025 recruiting class is currently ranked as the No. 3 class in the country by 247Sports. The class is headlined by the No. 1 wide receiver, quarterback, and running back in the 2025 class.

[autotag]Dakorien Moore[/autotag], [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag], and [autotag]Harlem Berry[/autotag] all have the ability to be a superstar at LSU. All three of those guys are on the offensive side of the ball so it would be nice to add the No. 1 safety in the class to bolster the defensive side of the ball.

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LSU’s Maason Smith says Jaguars drafting him was ‘best day of (his) life up to this point’

Maason Smith is heading to Jacksonville where he’ll be teammates with Brian Thomas Jr. once more.

[autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] became the fourth former LSU player to be taken in the 2024 NFL draft and the first on Day 2 on Friday. Smith was drafted in the second round by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

After three seasons at LSU, Smith is joining a Jaguars defensive line with a lot of talent but one that’s also a bit thin.

Smith said he thinks Jacksonville is the best situation for him, and that his draft night was the best day of his life so far, according to WJXT’s Jamaal St. Cyr.

“It’s just excitement, man,” Smith said. “I’ve been dreaming about this since I was 6 years old. Just being able to live that dream out, I told my mom yesterday, ‘Ma, it’s different when your dreams are staring you right in the face.’

When I got that call, when they said Jacksonville, my heart just dropped. Because I don’t think there’s a better situation for me to go to. I think that God always has a plan, and I preach about one thing: uncommon favor. And just sticking to that and believing that God’s going to put me in the place I need to be. And he did.

“I’m just grateful for this opportunity, but it was definitely the best day of my life up to this point.”

Smith is the second LSU player drafted by the Jaguars. He’ll be reunited with [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], who Jacksonville took in the first round. He’ll pair back up with former Tigers defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag], who Jacksonville hired as linebackers coach this offseason.

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Jaguars pick LSU DT Maason Smith in 2nd round of 2024 NFL draft

Maason Smith and Brian Thomas Jr. will be teammates at the next level, as well.

[autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] is teaming with [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars selected the former LSU defensive tackle in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft with the 48th pick, reuniting him with his former college teammate, whom the Jags drafted with the 23rd pick.

Smith’s decision to declare for the draft after his redshirt sophomore season came as a surprise. He missed nearly the entire 2022 season after tearing his ACL in the season opener, and his production suffered when he returned in 2023.

A former five-star recruit, he has a high-upside as a second-round pick although he will be a project. He’ll join a loaded Jacksonville defensive line that also possesses Josh Allen, Arik Armstead and 2022 first-overall pick Travon Walker.

Smith finished his LSU career having appeared in 22 games, including 17 starts. He totaled 47 tackles (9.5 for loss), 6.5 sacks and a pair of pass breakups.

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