The New York Giants and the Jacksonville Jaguars: these are the new homes for former LSU wide receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.
The top two targets for the Tigers are now gone, and with a new starting quarterback entering the season, the biggest thing to get him comfortable is finding the playmakers on the team.
The offense last season was led by quarterback Jayden Daniels, who threw for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns. On the receiving end of those yards and touchdowns were Nabers and Thomas. Nabers finished his final year at LSU with 89 receptions, 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns. As for Thomas, he ended with 68 receptions, 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns.
The Tigers are losing over 2,700 yards and 31 touchdowns, but it’s time for the other options to step up.
LSU’s projected targets consist of returners such as Kyren Lacy, Mason Taylor and Chris Hilton. The Tigers even brought a new target in CJ Daniels, a transfer from Liberty, to strengthen their receiving corps in hopes of bringing back that dynamic offense we once saw.
How did they get here?
The former Ragin’ Cajun Lacy enters his third season with LSU and has solidified his spot as the team’s number-one receiver. In his tenure with the Tigers, he totaled 54 receptions, 826 yards and seven touchdowns.
When Lacy transferred to LSU for the 2022 season, he wasn’t high on the depth chart and ended up being the sixth-leading receiver for the team. However, once Kayshon Boutte decided to enter the draft, it left the third receiving spot up for grabs.
Lacy entered the 2023-24 season as the third receiver on the depth chart and proved to be a solid option for Daniels. Last season he had 30 receptions, 558 yards and seven touchdowns.
It was a big year for Lacy, as he started to break out with two 100-yard games during that season. Now with both Nabers and Thomas gone, Lacy is poised for a breakout season.
CJ Daniels was one of the top wide receiver transfers in the portal this past offseason. After four seasons, including a 1000-yard and 10-touchdown season with the Flames, he decided to choose LSU for his home. Standing in at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, he is a great target for different types of plays in the offense.
A lot of his production was made through the short-intermediate game, whether it was using quick outs, slants or screen passes to get him the ball. He also showed his ability to make contested catches and go down the field.
Daniels replaces Thomas’ jump-ball threat that was missing with the current roster. It’s another option for Nussmeier, and although Daniels’ targets may have the potential to take a bit of a decline with the other weapons on offense, he could be the x-factor that can help LSU this season.
Taylor is entering year three of his collegiate career and is looking to take a big step this upcoming season.
The Florida native was named the starter his freshman year as he was a four-star prospect coming out of high school. In his first season, he had 38 receptions, 414 yards and three touchdowns, including an iconic play: catching the game-winning two-point conversion against Alabama.
After a productive freshman season, expectations were high for Taylor, but as he battled injuries and with the emergence of Nabers and Thomas Jr., he took a step back.
However, now that both Nabers and Thomas are gone, he will get the chance to show the potential he had during his freshman year.
Hilton is a guy who has had a very unlucky career with LSU, as he battled injuries every year. Hilton has been buried in the depth chart the past few seasons because of the talent ahead of him, as well. However, when is on the field, he shows flashes of what he can do.
In the ReliaQuest Bowl last year against Wisconsin, Nabers only played a couple of possessions to break the career receiving yard record and sat the majority of the game. Once Nabers subbed out, Hilton was moved to wide receiver three and made the most of his opportunity.
He had three catches for 56 yards and a touchdown. The majority of those yards came on one play towards the end of the game, where he had an incredible sliding catch that went for 43 yards.
That play alone he showed multiple factors of his game that will get him more targets during the season. With the cornerback almost ten yards off the ball, Hilton was able to blow right past him using his game-changing speed.
He also showed great concentration, as even though the cornerback was able to get back in the play, Hilton was still able to make the catch.
It’s plays like that that are making many fans excited to see him get on the field.
The outlook
It’s going to be hard to replace Nabers and Thomas, and that’s just a fact. However, with the weapons on LSU’s offense, there are going to be multiple options for someone to have a big game.
Lacy and Daniels will be the main targets on the outside. There is a high chance that Lacy will be Nussmeier’s favorite target throughout the season, as he’s been the most involved with LSU’s game plan.
Daniels could be seen as the most talented receiver in the room, and with his big play ability, it’ll open up options down the field.
As for Taylor, I expect more production from him. During his freshman year, LSU struggled to move the ball the majority of the year. However, as the season progressed, they started to gain momentum, and Taylor was a key contributor.
They found him on a lot of run-pass options and short routes to move the ball and open up the playbook. I think if LSU continues to target him on plays similar to what they did two seasons ago, he’ll have a very productive year.
With the speed of Hilton, prepare to see him on a lot of deep routes, such as crossers, posts and fades. In his big plays against Wisconsin, he used his speed by going down the field. He is going to open up the offense for the other pass catchers, as he will take the top off the defense.
The pass catchers for LSU this season will be a very productive unit. With Nussmeier starting at quarterback this season, it will be the receivers’ job to make his life easier.
