On3 Roundtable: Identifying LSU offensive playmakers ready to take next step

Even with Jayden Daniels as his quarterback last season, Brian Kelly was ready to run the ball on a weekly basis. LSU excelled there, even using Daniels’ feet as a weapon. Heading into 2023, they are looking to take more shots in the passing game, even if there are questions with weapons present in Baton Rouge.

One guy will for sure make a huge impact. Malik Nabors was LSU’s top receiver from a year ago, passing the 1,000-yard mark. It’s the guys behind him who will have to step up for the Tigers.

Shea Dixon of On3’s The Bengal Tiger joined the On3 Roundtable, saying wide receiver Brian Thomas is someone LSU fans should be on the lookout for. Thomas stepped on campus at the same time as Nabors and now, needs to find a way to get similar production.

“They’ve got Brian Thomas who signed in that same class (as Nabors),” Dixon said. “He started or at least knocked on the door and was in the heavy rotation of starting games a year ago. This is Year Three for him. It’s time for him to make that big jump. He will be a starter.”

Kelly hit the NCAA transfer portal hard last offseason. Some of the results hit instantly but in the case of Kyren Lacey, it may have been a year’s wait before making an impact. Dixon believes after getting accustomed to SEC football last season, Lacey can make an impact in 2023.

“Another guy, who I heard buzz about all spring was Kyren Lacey,” Dixon said. “Transfered in from playing with Billy Napier at (Louisiana), played his first year at LSU this past season, got heavy into the rotation. But was he going to make that jump? I heard all offseason ‘hey, he looks great.’ Here comes the spring game, he absolutely tore it apart.”

Dixon went on to call the top three receivers at LSU one of the “country’s best” and would definitely stack it up against anyone in the SEC. There needs to be depth on the roster, though. Thankfully, Kelly has done that while also stealing from the Tigers’ biggest rival.

“Remember, they went to the transfer portal and got Aaron Anderson,” Dixon said. “Left Alabama, came back to Louisiana. He’ll be a guy who can play in the slot and in the return game.”

Anderson was a highly-rated four-star prospect coming out of high school. There have been some injuries the wide receiver has worked through. But once on the field, Anderson should slot nicely into the rotation.

Health has been Anderson’s issue and the same could be said for Chris Hilton. In a year where Daniels and Kelly want to throw the ball downfield more, having Hilton back to 100% would be a great asset to have in their back pocket.

“They’ve got guys that have been on campus,” Dixon said. “Chris Hilton, namely. He can maybe take that next jump now that he’s healthy and be the type of guy who can take the top of a defense and really gives them a really different element in the receiver room.”

At this point, Dixon has been through four guys not named Malik Nabers. He has not even mentioned the freshman class, where LSU brought in three wide receivers, two of which were top-100 national recruits.

“They’ve got nine to 10 that are really, really solid,” Dixon said.