By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
LSU football is known for producing some of the best wide receivers in the country year in and year out. And it looks to do the exact same this year, in what could be the deepest wide receiver room the Tigers have ever had.
The LSU receivers were the highlight of the first day of fall camp, where numerous players made some type of outstanding play. The Tigers certainly do not lack in the speed category as five receivers have been timed under 4.40 in the 40-yard-dash.
Receivers like Zavion Thomas, Barion Brown, Chris Hilton Jr, Aaron Anderson and Nic Anderson are just a few names that will play an important role in this year’s offense.
This season, LSU has the ability to roll out several sets of receivers in waves during games, a fact which will not only keep each player fresh and rested but also keep the position group competitive at a higher level than in prior seasons.
“We have eight SEC high-caliber receivers. These guys are really good football players,” Kelly said on Wednesday.
Two receivers that Kelly mentioned from the podium on Wednesday were Barion Brown and Chris Hilton, Jr. Kelly mentioned both players as “X” receivers that have “the ability to run past anyone on a defense.”
During the indoor period of practice on Wednesday, Brown hauled in a long receiving touchdown from quarterback Garrett Nussmeier on a go route where Brown left cornerback Ashton Stamps in the dust. Brown also shined in the outdoor periods, where he hauled in a couple of more long receptions from Nussmeier.
Kelly said that LSU’s depth in the wide receiver room allows for better load management. With eight possible players to roll out, Kelly and the Tigers will be able to keep everyone rested for their absolute best when it comes to Saturdays.
“When you have that kind of depth, you can lessen the player load for these guys and keep them fresh. What we’ve told them is it’s 1A and 1B,” Kelly said, instead of first-team, second-team, etc.
One receiver that is flying under many radars currently is Florida State transfer Destyn Hill. The New Orleans native (Edna Karr) had the best day out of all of the receivers, most notably in the outdoor period. Hill hauled in multiple contested catches when lining up against cornerback Mansoor Delane. He also hauled in a one-handed catch on the sideline when guarded by Stamps.
Another name that caught attention on day one of fall camp was Kyle Parker. His last season ended with a triceps injury after an impressive outing against UCLA. Parker ran with the second-team offense today and it was immediately clear Parker’s speed and precise route-running will likely set him up for some quality playing time this season.
“And then you have Kyle Parker, who I’m really high on. And I think he is going to have an incredible year. You can add him to the slot,” Kelly said.
The Tigers certainly would rather have too much depth than not enough at wideout and Kelly said to expect more than six players to be utilized there.
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