Joe Sloan praises continued development of LSU wide receivers

LSU will look upon some new players at the wide receiver position following the breakout seasons of Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. last year. Who combined for 2,746 yards and 32 touchdowns last season and earned themselves first-round selections in the NFL Draft.

The Tigers will also have a new playcaller for their offense this season, with Joe Sloan taking over as offensive coordinator for Mike Denbrock following his departure for Notre Dame. And during fall camp, Sloan spoke about the development of his wideouts. A unit that’s headlined by Kyren Lacy, CJ Daniels, and Chris Hilton.

“The level from maybe guys that you haven’t talked about, you see elevating. We’ve had some guys deal with [injures], whatever it might be. But when I look at Aaron Anderson and Kyle Parker and the way that they’re elevating throughout camp, Shelton Sampson showed a lot of growth in some of his different opportunities,” Sloan said. “And we’ve talked about Zavion (Thomas) and we talked about all those different guys, but I think there’s more than just those three who have been doing and flashing in different ways.”

“Really excited about our couple young guys and where they can go.”

Hopes are high for the top wide receivers in The Bayou this season, but help from some young and talented pass catchers could go a long way for LSU and potentially take their offense to another level. As they’ll predominantly rely on a group that has a little bit more experience this upcoming season.

“But Kyren, Chris, and CJ played a lot of football and I think they’re definitely showing it. And what they’ve done is when they have an opportunity to make plays, we’ve tried to put them in position to do that, and when they’ve had that opportunity I think you’ve seen all three of them kind of rise to the occasion,” Sloan explaiend. “We’ll try to put them in situations where they can succeed.”

Sloan revealed that he plans on moving his top three wide receivers around this season in different spots on the offense. An attempt to not only get the most out of his players given their skillets, but keep defenses on their toes. Presenting a unit that could give defensive backs headaches starting with LSU’s leading returning wide receiver Kyren Lacy.

“The consistency at which Kyren’s been carrying himself, the growth and maturity, just just an unbelievable story,” Sloan said. “And Chris Hilton and everything that he’s dealt with in his past from an injury standpoint and the really complete receiver that he’s become. I think you guys saw in the spring, right? A bunch of stuff that he’s able to do, can’t be more excited about him and what he brings to the table. He’s special man he’s elite.”

Hilton had shown flashes of elite athleticism in his three seasons with LSU, catching 22 passes for 415 yards and three touchdowns in his career. Poised for a potential breakout season alongside Lacy and Daniels who joined the Tigers through the transfer portal after posting 1,067 yards and 10 touchdowns for Liberty last season.

“And then CJ. The consistency, and the understanding, the knowledge of the game, and all the different things that he’s able to do as a receiver. It’s definitely a fun three guys, but I think it goes much deeper than those three,” Sloan said. “Just excited about that room, excited about the camaraderie they have and how they push each other, and how they work. And I think you’re seeing the level of physicality in that room continue to elevate.”

It’s clear that LSU has a diverse group of different wide receivers this season that can replace their lost production as a unit. But it will be interesting to see which names shine the brightest ahead of an exciting 2024 season in The Bayou.