LSU Injured WR Jackson Harris “Will Be Fine,” Lane Kiffin Says, Princewill Umanmielen Likely Questionable

By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

It sounds like LSU top wide receiver Jackson Harris may be able to play Saturday when the No. 18 Tigers (5-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) play at Auburn (4-2, 2-2 SEC) at Jordan-Hare Stadium at 11 a.m. on ABC.

Harris suffered an apparent ankle injury in the third quarter of the Tigers’ 31-0 win over No. 16 Mississippi State on Saturday in Tiger Stadium and left the game. The redshirt junior transfer from Hawaii led LSU in receiving yards in the game with 85 on six catches and with two touchdowns.

“I think he’ll be fine,” LSU coach Lane Kiffin said of Harris on Sunday afternoon during his weekly teleconference. “Jackson was playing great, really coming along great. I think our passing game in general really has hit a good stride here lately, and a lot of that was having to do with him. He’s really started to take shorter plays and turn them into big plays and looks really fast and confident.”

Harris leads LSU in receiving yards with 456 this season on 27 catches. He also is first in touchdown catches with five and in average yards per catch among those who have caught more than three passes at 16.9.

Kiffin did not comment on senior edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen, who left the game in the first quarter with an apparent concussion. Umanmielen leads the Tigers with eight sacks on the season.

“I don’t have any updates medically for you,” Kiffin said.

LSU will be playing at Auburn for the first time since 2022 when LSU won 21-17. The teams last met in 2023 when LSU won 48-18. Auburn is coming off a 27-24 upset of No. 1 Georgia on the road. Auburn received 61 votes for the Associated Press poll released Sunday, but was not ranked. LSU rose four spots to No. 18.

“Auburn is playing really well,” Kiffin said. “They die something a team rarely ever does – win at Georgia. They have a really good offense and some really good looking players on defense. We’re going to try to get a win before the bye and hopefully get a little better (with injuries).”

The Tigers will be open on Saturday, Oct. 31, before hosting No. 13 Alabama (5-2, 3-2 SEC) on Nov. 7. The Tide lost, 26-10, at Tennessee on Saturday.