Tag: LSU in the NFL

Justin Jefferson wants Jalen Ramsey ‘that game is circled’

Former Tigers WR Justin Jefferson is eyeing a matchup with Jalen Ramsey in 2021.

[mm-video type=video id=01fdaw77ffn8mcn7cgx6 playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fdaw77ffn8mcn7cgx6/01fdaw77ffn8mcn7cgx6-96c2da6fe2fd29a70de7e059c77ca98e.jpg]

Last season Justin Jefferson proved his worth as a first-round draft selection with the Minnesota Vikings. As the No. 18 selection, the rookie receiver would prove his mettle as he was among the top four in yards with 1,400. In terms of wide receivers, only Stefon Diggs and DeAndre Hopkins finished ahead of him.

Recently Touchdown Wire ranked Jefferson among the top wide receivers. He also made their list for the top 101 players in all of the NFL.

Jefferson had a huge rookie season, catching 88 passes for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns. Those receiving yards set a record for rookie WRs, and he was also named to a Pro Bowl for his efforts. As you’ll see in these videos, Jefferson is already among the game’s best thanks to his combination of footwork, releases and concentration.

He was ranked No. 70 overall by our colleagues. Going into year two, he is using his doubters as fuel to be even better in his sophomore campaign with the Vikings. The love for the former LSU Tiger didn’t stop there, NFL Network’s top 100 put him in at No. 53.

So what is next on the mind of the former Tiger that put up 2,415 yards and 24 touchdowns? Jefferson is looking at his week 16 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams and Jalen Ramsey.

Setting an NFL record for most receiving yards in a rookie campaign wasn’t enough for Jefferson, now he has his eyes set on proving his worth against one of the top cornerbacks in the game.

[listicle id=21964]

When No. 18 lines up against Ramsey, make sure you have your popcorn ready.

WATCH: The Honey Badger checks on at No. 58 in NFL top 100

Tyrann Mathieu comes in among the top 60 players on the NFL’s top 100 list.

The annual top 100 players from the NFL Network are starting to be released with plenty of former LSU Tigers waiting to see if they made the cut. It should come as a shock to no one to find the “Honey Badger” Tyrann Mathieu among them.

Mathieu checks in at No. 58 overall. The Kansas City Chiefs‘ swiss army knife on the defensive side of the ball can be found just about everywhere. Last year, Mathieu accounted for 62 tackles, six interceptions, nine passes defended, one fumble recovery, and one defensive touchdown. He meant everything to that defense as they marched to a second-straight Super Bowl appearance.

Mathieu is heading into his ninth season in the NFL and third with the Chiefs. He played for the Arizona Cardinals from 2013-17, then Mathieu spent the 2018 season with the Houston Texans. During that time he has played in 113 games. The Honey Badger racked up 534 tackles, 39 TFLs, 23 quarterback hits, 23 interceptions, 70 passes defended, four forced fumbles, and three recoveries.

You can hear what his peers had to say as they announced Tyrann Mathieu as the No. 58 player in the NFL:

[listicle id=21964]

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

NFLSU: Preseason week one performances for former Tigers

How former LSU Tigers performed in week one of NFL preseason action

Week one of the NFL preseason came and went over the last several days. Plenty of former LSU Tigers were in action and a good amount were held out of the first games of the season.

While Joe Burrow didn’t suit up for the Cincinnati Bengals, Ja’Marr Chase did start out the game at wide receiver. He caught one pass from backup quarterback Brandon Allen that went for 16 yards early on in the game. On Sunday, his former teammate Terrace Marshall Jr got his opportunity.

Marshall was the recipient of three passes. Most of his damage came off a scramble drill where PJ Walker found him for a 60-yard catch and run. A full look at each former player in the opening week of the NFL preseason.

WATCH: Former LSU Tiger WR Terrace Marshall Jr goes for a huge gain

Former LSU Tigers WR Terrace Marshall Jr gets his first reception in action against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

Former LSU Tigers wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr was back on the field for the Carolina Panthers in their preseason opener. Marshall getting to see action as he was among the starters for the Panthers against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday afternoon.

Facing a first and 10 from the Carolina 25-yard line, quarterback PJ Walker was able to extend a play allowing Marshall to get free in the secondary. He found the former LSU wideout for a monster gain down the right sideline. The play went for a total of 60 yards.

The Panthers were unable to punch it into the endzone and would settle for a field goal to get the early 3-0 lead. The Colts would immediately respond with a field goal of their own to tie it up.

Marshall played for LSU from 2018-2020 appearing in 28 games for the Tigers. During that span, he caught 106 passes for 1,594 yards and 23 total touchdowns. He caught 13 during the 2019 season but wasn’t garnering the same attention due to Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. Marshall averaged 15 yards per catch during his career with the Tigers.

Marshall is trying to push his way into the starting wide receiver rotation after being a second-round pick by the Panthers in the 2021 NFL draft. His college teammate Ja’Marr Chase caught his first pass on Saturday for the Cincinnati Bengals.

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

Watch: Former LSU WR Ja’Marr Chase hauls in first NFL reception, makes Bengals history

A look at former LSU Tigers wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase who records his first NFL reception in preseason action.

It has been since the 2019 College Football Playoffs national championship game that Ja’Marr Chase has been on the field in game action. That all changed on Saturday evening when the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicked off their preseason action.

Ja’Marr Chase made Cincinnati Bengals history as he became the first player in franchise history to wear No. 1 for the team. Chase got the opportunity to be reunited with the quarterback that helped him set the all-time single-season receiving yards record in Baton Rouge. For Saturday’s game, Joe Burrow wouldn’t suit up for Cincinnati. There was no reason for them to risk putting him on the field in a meaningless game.

The starting quarterback for the Bengals would be Brandon Allen and he found Chase early on in the first quarter.

That was the only reception for Chase in the first half of the game. After taking off the 2020 season to prepare for the NFL, it was good to see the 2019 Biletnikoff Award winner back on the field.

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

Where Joe Burrow, other former Tigers rank for fantasy football

A look at where former LSU Tigers line up for the upcoming season in fantasy football rankings.

With the NFL season fast approaching, many fans are gearing up for their fantasy football drafts. There are plenty of former LSU Tigers to choose from when making up your rosters. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase could be on that list for you. So where does the quarterback fall in the fantasy football rankings?

Joe Burrow falls into tier 2, top-tier upside quarterbacks. He joins Russell Wilson, Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts, and Aaron Rodgers according to the rankings from Pro Football Focus.

It’s been a rough start for Joe Burrow at training camp, with the Bengals quarterback describing his summer struggles as “mental” more than physical. But that’s to be somewhat expected for a quarterback coming off major knee surgery just nine months ago.

n 10 full games as a rookie last year, Burrow finished third in expected fantasy points per game (23.0) behind only Dak Prescott and Josh Allen. And that’s because Burrow led the league in passing attempts per game (40.4).

This offense has so much potential to light the fantasy football world ablaze with Burrow at the helm, so be aggressive buying the dip on the Bengals QB that will follow the reports from camp. – Andrew Erickson, PFF

[vertical-gallery id=19814]

One aspect that likely helps the former Tigers quarterback is having his favorite target Ja’Marr Chase on the outside for Burrow in 2021. After sitting out the 2020 college football season, Chase will be back to catching passes from his Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. The duo set records at LSU during the 2019 run to the CFP national championship.

[lawrence-related id=21004]

The list of rankings of former players, provided by PFF:

Former LSU WR Ja’Marr Chase discusses his biggest challenge in the NFL

Former LSU Tiger Ja’Marr Chase gives a very self-aware comment on adjusting to the NFL level.

[mm-video type=video id=01fcvex5cchxftay2qyx playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fcvex5cchxftay2qyx/01fcvex5cchxftay2qyx-645e71e28e398c9c6980225404900b97.jpg]

Heading into the 2020 college football season, we were ready for an encore performance from wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase with the LSU Tigers. We never got to see it as he opted out of the season in late August. It would be up to Terrace Marshall Jr to carry the load for the wide receivers.

Despite his opt-out, teams weren’t about to pass on Chase’s potential at the NFL level. In 2019 he put together one of the best performances in Tigers history. Chase’s 84 receptions were third-most for a single season in school history. The 1,780 yards receiving that year were the most, just 40 yards ahead of Josh Reed’s 2001 campaign. He also led had the most receiving touchdowns (20), smashing Dwayne Bowe’s record of 12 in 2006.

Chase would sit out the entire 2020 campaign for various reasons, more than just playing the game he loved.

“I had a lot of stuff going on with my family at the time, so I wanted to take care of that,” he said. “During the season, I didn’t want to play a few games and then opt out because that doesn’t look right. If I’m going to play some games, I might as well finish the whole season. I was still debating on if I wanted to opt out in the spring when I did it.” – Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports

After sitting out the season, Chase would be reunited with his former quarterback Joe Burrow in Cincinnati. The Bengals made him a top-five pick and gave their franchise quarterback one of his favorite weapons from his days in Baton Rouge. It wasn’t all sunshine and daffodils for the Biletnikoff winner in 2019.

Chase hadn’t played the game of football for 16 months prior to rookie camp.

I would say the only difficult thing was my quickness. Not as in quickness like with athletic ability, but mind quickness, reaction time quickness. That’s what it’s all about. Me sitting out that whole year definitely showed when I got back out here. I thought everything was going to be fine for me and then that was one thing of the game phase I was having trouble with. – Ja’Marr Chase via Paul Dehner Jr, The Athletic