Tag: Racey McMath

LSU offers New Orleans receiver prospect in 2025 class

LSU offered TaRon Francis, getting in early with the in-state recruit.

As recruiting season remains in full swing, LSU continues to hand out offers.

The latest has gone to [autotag]TaRon Francis[/autotag], a class of 2025 wide receiver from New Orleans.

Francis attends Edna Karr High School. LSU has landed a few players from there before, including defensive lineman [autotag]Tygee Hill[/autotag] who signed with the Tigers in December.

[autotag]Racey McMath[/autotag], who was a member of LSU’s national title team in 2019 and saw NFL action last fall with the Titans, is another Edna Karr alum.

It’ll be a long time before Francis signs with a college program, but it’s always good for instate schools to get involved with recruits early. That’s where half the in-state advantage comes from. LSU should know about Louisiana prospects before anyone else does.

Getting in and offering a player early is also a way to keep high school coaches happy. Maintaining relationships with the tight-knit New Orleans high school coaches is a critical part of the LSU job.

Both running backs coach [autotag]Frank Wilson[/autotag] and wide receivers coach [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag] have connections with those guys and it wouldn’t be a bad assumption to say that had something to do with this offer.

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What to expect from Titans’ 2021 draft class in 2022

Here’s what we want to see out of each member of the Titans’ 2021 draft class in 2022.

For the second straight year the Tennessee Titans didn’t get much out of a draft class. Just like the 2020 group, the 2021 class saw some players deal with injuries, while others showed they needed more time to develop.

The exception to the rest was cornerback Elijah Molden, who worked his way into the role of the team’s primary slot cornerback — and from Week 3 on, he performed as arguably the best rookie at his position in the NFL.

Edge rusher Rashad Weaver, cornerback Caleb Farley and linebacker Monty Rice each saw their seasons end early, although Rice did show enough to give us hope.

Offensive lineman Dillon Radunz and wide receivers Dez Fitzpatrick and Racey McMath simply weren’t ready for prime time, and Tennessee’s last pick of the 2021 NFL draft, safety Brady Breeze, isn’t even with the team anymore.

While things are no doubt off to a rocky start for this group as a whole, there is hope things can turn around in 2022. Here’s a look at what we expect from each member of the Titans’ 2021 draft class in their second season.

Titans designate Julio Jones to return from IR among 6 moves

Julio Jones is one step closer to returning to action.

The Tennessee Titans are one step closer to getting back wide receiver Julio Jones, as the team announced he has been designated to return from Injured Reserve.

Along with Jones, safety Dane Cruikshank and wide receiver Racey McMath have also been designated to return. This opens the door for each to return to practice, and eventually, the 53-man roster.

Tennessee desperately needs Jones to return and produce, as the team is very thin at wide receiver, with fellow wideout A.J. Brown on IR for at least the next two games.

In addition to those moves, the Titans waived outside linebacker John Simon from the 53-man roster, added linebacker Tuzar Skipper to the practice squad, and removed practice squad tight end Austin Fort from the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

With Fort removed, safety Kevin Byard is the only remaining Titans player on the list.

After having a bye in Week 13, the Titans will return to action in Week 14 when they host the Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium, with kickoff set for noon CT.

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Titans activate Landry, McMath off COVID-19 list among 5 moves

The Titans still have seven players remaining on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

The Tennessee Titans announced five roster moves on Friday, including the activations of outside linebacker Harold Landry and wide receiver Racey McMath off the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

Landry and McMath will now join the 53-man roster. Tennessee has seven players on the COVID-19 list, including quarterback Ryan Tannehill, tight end Geoff Swaim, right guard Nate Davis, and center Ben Jones.

In addition to those moves, the Titans have swapped practice squad tight ends after adding MyCole Pruitt and waiving 2021 UDFA Miller Forristall, and placed safety Brady Breeze on Injured Reserve. Breeze will be out at least the first three weeks of the 2021 season.

Of course, Pruitt is familiar face after spending the last three seasons in Tennessee. He is the only tight end on Tennessee’s practice squad at the moment.

With Pruitt added and Forristall dropped, the Titans still have 14 players on their practice squad, leaving two more spots to fill.

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Titans place Racey McMath on COVID-19 list, add 2 coaches to protocol

The Titans are back up to seven players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

The Tennessee Titans have added wide receiver Racey McMath to the team’s Reserve/COVID-19 list, while also adding two coaches to the protocol, the team announced on Saturday.

The two coaches in COVID-19 protocols are wide receivers coach Rob Moore and offensive line assistant, Jason Houghtaling. Both will miss the preseason finale on Saturday night, as will McMath.

It isn’t clear if the trio tested positive for the virus or if they are deemed close contacts.

The good news is that special teams coach Craig Aukerman is no longer in the COVID protocols. He will be helping out in head coach Mike Vrabel’s absence, as he remains in the COVID-19 protocols and will miss the preseason Week 3 contest against the Chicago Bears.

Aukerman will be handling team communication with players on Saturday night, while John Streicher, coordinator of football development, will handle game decisions, communication with coaches and playtime management, the Titans revealed.

Tennessee now has seven players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, including quarterback Ryan Tannehill, outside linebacker Harold Landry, tight end Geoff Swaim, running back Jeremy McNichols, linebackers Nick Dzubnar and Justin March-Lillard, and now McMath.

Tennessee and Chicago will kickoff at 6 p.m. CDT.

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Titans’ A.J. Brown: Racey McMath kind of reminds me of Julio Jones

That is quite the compliment for the Titans rookie receiver.

When the Tennessee Titans drafted LSU product and wide receiver Racey McMath in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft, it was figured that his best bet to make the roster would be through special teams work.

However, after the first four days of training camp, McMath is turning heads as a receiver instead, and is among the biggest standouts in practice thus far.

He has certainly caught the eye of fellow wideout, A.J. Brown, who says McMath reminds him of their teammate, superstar wide receiver, Julio Jones.

“To be honest, I don’t want to say this, but he (McMath) kind of reminds me of Julio (Jones),” Brown said, via Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. “That’s the upside I think he has in him.”

We’ve seen McMath make some Julio-esque jump ball catches in training camp thus far, and he has posted an impressive body of work overall, especially when you consider that he’s just a rookie.

Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing also praised the rookie wide receiver after practice on Saturday.

The Titans suddenly have a crowded and complicated situation at the position beyond Julio Jones, A.J. Brown, Josh Reynolds and Dez Fitzpatrick, all of whom are locks to make the roster.

McMath and Marcus Johnson have been among the most impressive players in training camp thus far, and other wide receivers such as Mason Kinsey, Cameron Batson and Chester Rogers are competing for the punt return job.

Adding to those players, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is a near-lock to make the roster after being a special teams ace in 2020. With each passing day, it’s looking more and more likely that the Titans might carry seven receivers.

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How Titans WR Racey McMath got his awesome name

McMath was one of two great names the Titans nabbed in the sixth round.

When the Tennessee Titans drafted LSU wide receiver Racey McMath in the sixth round (No. 205 overall) of the 2021 NFL draft, the most common reaction to the selection was, “who?”

McMath wasn’t really on our radar going in this year’s event, and the only thing we really knew about him was his cool name, which was only rivaled by fellow Titans sixth-round pick, Oregon safety Brady Breeze.

So, how did McMath get his interesting name?

According to his LSU bio, McMath’s mom said that before he was born, “it felt like he was just racing in my stomach, so we said, ‘Ok, that’s going to be his name – let’s call him Racey.'”

And a legendary name was born.

Now that he has reached the NFL, the 6-foot-2, 211-pound receiver will try to show enough to make Tennessee’s 53-man roster out of training camp, but nothing is guaranteed, even with the Titans’ need at wide receiver.

McMath’s best quality at the moment is his experience on special teams, an area he excelled at during his days with the Tigers. He could carve out a role, and ultimately a spot on the roster, if he can flash the kind of aggressive, hard-hitting style he showed in college.

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Instant analysis and grades for Titans’ sixth-round picks

How we graded the Tennessee Titans’ sixth-round picks.

After maneuvering up and down the board throughout the 2021 NFL draft weekend, the Tennessee Titans’ two sixth-round picks are seemingly their final selections for this year.

One of the main focal points of this round was clearly to focus on getting high-ceiling players who have also excelled on special teams during their collegiate careers.

But that isn’t the only thing these late-round picks have in common; they also have two of the best names in the entire 2021 class.

Let’s take a closer look at who Tennessee selected to help improve the depth in two out of the three phases of the game.

2021 NFL Draft: Tennessee Titans select former LSU WR Racey McMath

Former LSU WR Racey McMath joins ex-Tigers CB Kristian Fulton in Nashville.

Former LSU wide receiver Racey McMath will join former Tigers cornerback Kristian Fulton in Nashville.

McMath was selected by the Tennessee Titans at pick No. 205 overall in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

The Titans have put a lot of focus on defense in this draft so far, but have begun to address some needs on offense.

McMath has largely been an asset on special teams for LSU, seeing some time at receiver as well.

Especially as the 2020 season progressed, McMath showed just how effective he could be purely as a starter at the position. By the end of the season, McMath had recorded 14 receptions for 195 yards with one touchdown.

His first name couldn’t fit him much better, either, as he ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash at LSU’s pro day.

There’s a lot of ways the Titans use the speedster, and he’ll be one to watch develop in the coming seasons.

McMath finished out his LSU career with 33 receptions for 522 yards with four touchdowns.

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2021 NFL draft: Titans select WR Racey McMath at No. 205 overall

The Titans have made their second-to-last pick of the 2021 NFL draft.

With the No. 205 overall pick (sixth round) in the 2021 NFL draft, the Tennessee Titans selected wide receiver Racey McMath out of LSU.

McMath is the second wide receiver the Titans have taken in this year’s draft, with the first being Louisville product Dez Fitzpatrick, who was taken in the fourth round.

Aside from having a great name, McMath’s measurables are impressive. He stands at 6-foot-2 and 212 pounds, but also has 4.39 speed, which presents a matchup problem for opposing defenses.

McMath’s college numbers are nothing to write home about, but it’s important to note that he was absolutely buried on the depth chart with LSU having a slew of talented receivers in front of him. He also contributed on special teams, which is likely his best path to making the Titans in 2021.

McMath now joins his former LSU teammate, cornerback Kristian Fulton. He and Fulton were roommates in college, also.

After this pick, the Titans have one more selection in this year’s draft, which comes at No. 215 overall (sixth round). Tennessee originally had a seventh-round pick, but that was traded to the Carolina Panthers earlier in the day.

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