Brian Kelly raves over Zavion Thomas' value as a returner

LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly knows the value of special teams when it comes to winning football games. That’s probably why he’s so happy with what wide receiver Zavion Thomas is bringing to LSU as a returner this season.

Kelly raved about Thomas’ value, explaining after the win against Nicholls that what he brings to the table on special teams isn’t something that LSU has necessarily had since he got to Baton Rouge.

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“His presence back there, obviously, allows us better field position,” Brian Kelly said. “We struggled a lot the past couple of years with the punt return game. He’s been able to get us great field position. Obviously, he’s a weapon for us.”

Through two games, Zavion Thomas has returned three punts for an average of 7.3 yards per return. He’s also returned five kickoffs for an average of 26 yards per return. This comes just a year after he scored a touchdown on a kickoff return while playing for Mississippi State. He also had a punt return for a touchdown as a freshman in 2022.

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“That’s what we were looking for when we went into the portal, somebody that could do that,” Kelly said. “Obviously, he got that one opportunity [against Nicholls]. Maybe he got a bit too aggressive in terms of taking that out of the endzone. He was probably a little too deep, but he’s been an important part of our special teams.”

Zavion Thomas committed to transfer to LSU from Mississippi State following the 2023 regular season. A former four-star recruit in the Class of 2022, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, the hope was he could help to replace the production of players like Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. who moved onto the NFL.

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To go along with his ability as a returner, Zavion Thomas has provided production at his wide receiver position, with seven receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown.

Brian Kelly reveals how Hurricane Francine has impacted LSU practices ahead of South Carolina game

LSU has a big game on Saturday as it kicks off SEC play on the road against South Carolina. However, the Tigers and Brian Kelly have also needed to deal with Hurricane Francine in the lead-up to the game.

“We had a normal schedule yesterday which meant we didn’t get off the field until about 6:30 last night. We then came back and then got on the field at 9:30 this morning. So, that’s a pretty quick turnaround. We were here late last night preparing from a coaching standpoint. Our players had to come back in early this morning around 6:30 a.m. It’s a bit of a turnaround. They had the rest of the day off to recover and they will but they practiced hard, we were outside all day,” Kelly said.

“We are expecting some rain in Columbia on Saturday so it’s a good preparation for us to be handling a wet ball and being in the wet conditions if we do, in fact, get sustained rain on Saturday. We did a really good job, I thought they responded well. The practice was what I expected it to be on a Wednesday and hopefully, this storm passes through without much damage and we’re able to get back to a regular schedule on Thursday.”

LSU and South Carolina will kickoff at 12:00 p.m. EST on Saturday in Columbia, South Carolina.