By KACE KIESCHNICK, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
With star tight end Trey’Dez Green sidelined indefinitely with a lower-body injury sustained in the fourth quarter of LSU’s 32-24 loss to Ole Miss, wide receiver Winston Watkins Jr. says other pass catchers will need to step up as both leaders and playmakers.
Watkins said that he spoke to Green, who is doing well despite the injury, and he is praying for a speedy recovery. He said that he is carrying some extra weight from Green’s emotional exit.
“I was in on that play as well,” Watkins said after practice on Tuesday. “I feel like I could have got an extra block or got an extra person away from him preventing that, so I kind of feel a way about that play.”
Green went down with the apparent knee injury with about 14 ½ minutes remaining in the game. After making a 19-yard catch, he was taken down by two Ole Miss defenders, one of whom ran by Watkins on his way to make the tackle.
Green’s mother, Laketracky Green, said in a Facebook post on Monday that her son’s MRI did not show any torn ligaments, so while he will miss some time he could return this season. She said his right knee is badly bruised and sprained.
The Zachary High product was LSU’s leading receiver through the first three games. He had made 14 catches for 22 yards and a touchdown before the injury. The 6-foot-7 athletic anomaly was poised to be one of the Tigers’ biggest offensive weapons this season. He is an instant mismatch for any defensive back or linebacker guarding him and proved to be a problem to bring down after the catch.
Watkins said there is no one on the team with the same frame and versatility as Green, but that does not mean the Tigers’ will not be able to survive without him.
“The guys right behind him and the receivers right behind him could fill in his role, just got to do a little tweaks to make sure that we get it down the same way,” Watkins said.
Green’s immediate backup has been Oregon transfer tight end Zach Grace. The redshirt junior has mainly been used as a fullback and blocking tight end throughout his career, although he has received two targets this season – including an off-target throw from Sam Leavitt that could have scored the game-tying touchdown against the Rebels if caught. His other target was a drop against Clemson.
Pitt transfer Malachi Thomas has been the other option in the tight end room, although he too has not recorded a reception this season, and 6-foot-5 wide receiver Roman Mothershed saw his first snaps of the year while Green was sidelined.
The uncertainty at tight end adds another layer of concern to an LSU passing attack that was already shaky. The Tigers have totaled 874 passing yards and passing four touchdowns, but most of that production came in blowouts over Clemson and Louisiana Tech.
Against Ole Miss, Leavitt completed 16 of 27 passes for 158 yards, one touchdown and an interception, his fifth of the season. While subpar offensive line play is partially to blame, Leavitt has completed just 61.3% of his passes this year, and LSU receivers have 10 drops on the year. Watkins says the passing game will get to where it needs to be eventually.
“I feel like we should just stick to what we got going on, keep trusting in coach (Charlie) Weis,” Watkins said. “Sam keep doing what he got to do, and we all just coming together and just keep working.”
Simply persevering was a successful strategy for the LSU offense against Ole Miss. After scoring just seven points and punting three times in the first half, the Tigers put up 17 points in the second half and were inches away from scoring a third, potentially game-tying touchdown.
“We got to our true self, I feel like, in the second half,” Watkins said. “We picked everything up. We understand that we played a bad first half, and we just had to make sure that we come together and just dial into what we got going on.”
Watkins already has one year of the Lane Kiffin-Charlie Weis offense under his belt after his freshman season at Ole Miss. That familiarity in the offense has helped him get off to a hot start in an LSU roster filled with new additions. He has made 15 catches for 207 yards and two touchdowns through his first three games, but he said he needs to contribute more off the field as well.
“I feel like I got to make sure I step up and be a leader because at the end of the day, I’ve been in the system longer than anybody on the whole team,” he said “So it’s like for me, I got to make sure I bring guys along.”
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