Tag: LSU receivers

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.

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Projecting the stats for LSU receivers in 2023

Here’s what to expect from LSU’s receivers in 2023.

Despite losing [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag], LSU returns a talented wide receiver room in 2023.

[autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] enters his junior year after leading the SEC in catches last year. Behind Nabers, there’s [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag], both of which earned praise from offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] this spring.

There’s also [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag], one of the sport’s most impressive freshmen in 2022.

When I did this last year, I got a bit too eager with the projections. This year, I’ve taken more of a conservative approach. With that out of the way, lets jump right in and take a look at what we might see from LSU’s receivers this fall.

LSU State of the Program: Breaking down the wide receiver room

Here’s how LSU stacks up at receiver in 2023 and beyond.

We still have a long way to go before toe touches leather in September.

With signing day and most of the transfer action in the rearview mirror, this is usually one of the quieter times of the college football calendar. That will soon change with spring practice fast approaching at LSU.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is set to begin his second year in Baton Rouge after a 10-win season in Year 1. Leading up to spring practice, we’re taking a look at the state of the program.

Position by position, present and future.

Now, it’s the wide receivers. Here’s a breakdown of how LSU shapes up at pass catcher entering 2023 and beyond.

(Check out our previous position breakdowns where we look at quarterbacks and running backs.)

Malik Nabers named a top 10 returning receiver by PFF

Nabers will be one of college football’s best receivers in 2023.

Several key pieces are returning to LSU in 2023.

Wide receiver [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] is LSU’s most productive returning playmaker and was recognized as one of the best receivers in the country by PFF.

Nabers comes in at No. 5 on the list of returning pass-catchers.

“The sophomore was a monster after the catch this past year. His 21 forced tackles on receptions were fifth most among Power Five receivers,” PFF said.

Nabers was one of just 18 receivers in the Power Five to surpass the 1,000 yard mark and his 72 catches led the SEC. After playing nearly all of his snaps in the slot in 2021, he saw much more time on the outside in 2022.

He passed the test with flying colors, proving he can be a true No. 1 target.

With [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] off to the NFL, Nabers is the clear top dog in the receiver room. It’s his show now, which means he’ll be getting more attention from defenses.

LSU will need another receiver to take a step forward, much like the one we saw Nabers make last year.

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Where Kayshon Boutte’s departure leaves LSU’s receiver group in 2023

The Tigers should be alright at receiver next fall, even without Boutte.

Wednesday was a strange day on the [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] front for LSU.

After his surprise decision on Dec. 5 to forgo the opportunity to go pro and return to the Tigers in 2023, Boutte reversed course and declared for the NFL draft. Earlier in the day, LSU announced that Boutte would not play in the Citrus Bowl vs. Purdue on Jan. 2 but was still enrolled in spring classes.

Boutte returning to LSU in 2023 always felt a bit too good to be true. The junior was considered one of the top receiver prospects in college football entering the season after a monster campaign in 2021 that was cut short due to injury after six games.

He never developed a strong connection with [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] this fall and his production dropped, though he still had 538 yards and two touchdowns on 48 catches.

Getting Boutte back in an already talented receiver room would have given the Tigers one of the top corps in college football, but the outlook is far from bleak, even without him.

Though the team loses role players [autotag]Jack Bech[/autotag] (transfer portal) and [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag] (NFL draft), the Tigers will return leading receiver [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag], who had a breakout campaign as a true sophomore. He finished with 63 catches for 854 yards and two touchdowns, and he should be Daniels’ favorite target once more.

LSU also brings back [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], who only had 330 yards on 27 catches but found the end zone four times, and [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag], a Louisiana transfer who saw an increased role down the stretch. [autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag] should also return to the group after missing much of the 2022 season with a shoulder injury.

That doesn’t even take the new additions into account. LSU landed one of the top receivers in the transfer portal in [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag], a former five-star recruit who was once committed to the Tigers. Anderson made a minimal impact as a true freshman at Alabama in 2022, and the New Orleans native has returned to his home state.

We also can’t forget the pair of recently signed top-100 prospects in [autotag]Jalen Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Shelton Sampson Jr.[/autotag], who could each make an impact as true freshmen in 2023.

There’s no way to sugarcoat Boutte’s loss. He’s one of the game’s most talented receivers at this level, and his departure will hurt. But this is a receiving corps that certainly has the talent and depth to handle that loss.

Daniels should have no shortage of targets in the passing game next fall.

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What’s wrong with LSU’s receiver room?

LSU’s talented receiver room has struggled. What’s next for this group?

LSU’s wide receiver group has been disappointing. Entering the year, some had pegged this group as the best in the SEC. So far, it’s been far from that.

The talent remains. [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag], [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag], [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Jack Bech[/autotag], [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] are all there.

As far as a list of names goes, that’s pretty good — despite the struggles. It can be difficult to pinpoint why an offense is struggling. In the case of LSU, you could find a few reasons.

Everything has been shaky. That doesn’t mean there hasn’t been good to find. There’s been a lot of that too, but the lack of consistency has held this team back, especially at the receiver position.

Talking about Boutte’s lack of production is beating a dead horse at this point. Halfway through the year, he has just 17 catches for 130 yards. He’s catching less than 60% of his targets and has five drops on the year.

There have been times when [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] has missed him, but Boutte hasn’t gotten open enough and hasn’t finished enough when given the chance.

Boutte hasn’t produced against man coverage or zone coverage and his results have been similar in the slot and on the outside. Plus, he’s being used in the slot at the same rate he was in 2021.

Boutte needs to get going. He doesn’t need to rack up 100 yards per game but LSU’s offense is much more explosive when he is rolling. The offense has had a severe lack of explosiveness, and Boutte’s lack of production is a part of that.

Nabers has been LSU’s best receiver thus far, becoming Daniels’ favorite target. Daniels repeatedly targeted Nabers in big moments against Mississippi State to help put that game away.

Nabers has been particularly good against man coverage, averaging 3.10 yards per route run. He’s still young, and I’d look for him to continue to progress.

When it comes to the remaining guys — Thomas, Bech, Jenkins and Lacy — LSU needs more consistency.

They don’t have to be game-breakers, but they need to deliver in big moments. If Boutte is going to continue to struggle and Nabers is yet to become a true, dynamic No. 1 threat, then LSU needs something from the entire room.

Thomas is headed in the right direction, but like Nabers, he’s still young and needs some time before emerging as a top-tier target. Bech, Jenkins and Lacy are experienced players who have demonstrated competency.

The coaching staff needs to do a better job at putting them in situations to succeed. The passing offense needs to be more than just hoping Boutte, Nabers or Thomas can win in man coverage. Defenses with a strong secondary will have no issue defending that.

This group lacks an identity right now. LSU is going to need them to find one and find it soon.

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Brian Kelly says LSU will get Jack Bech more involved

Bech has had a quiet start to his sophomore year after a great true freshman campaign.

Coming into the year, we knew wide receiver was a strength for LSU. The Tigers could have the best group in the SEC. When you have a pass-catching group that deep, it’s tough to spread the ball around to everyone.

One guy that is waiting on a breakout game in 2022 is sophomore [autotag]Jack Bech[/autotag]. When asked about Bech’s involvement in the offense, Kelly said they want to get him the ball more.

Bech caught 43 passes as a freshman last fall. LSU had a handful of talented freshman at wide receiver in 2021, and Bech was the most consistent. He was a reliable presence in the slot who ran well with the ball after the catch.

Through three games in 2022, Bech has caught just two passes on three targets. Every snap he’s played has come in the slot. Against Mississippi State, Bech was on the field for just three pass snaps.

[autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] has been drawing a ton of attention from defenses. This has allowed chances for some of LSU’s other receivers.

[autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] has really taken a step forward since last year. The sophomore was listed as a starter in the depth chart prior to the Florida State game and has caught nine passes on 10 targets.

[autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] has continued to emerge as a dynamic threat, and late in the game against Mississippi State became [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag]’ go-to on third down. [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag], the veteran of the group, has three touchdowns on the year.

It’ll be interesting to see where Bech fits into this equation and how LSU gets him the ball more. LSU could use a guy that moves the chains over the middle of the field, and Bech could emerge to fill that role.

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