One of two things tend to happen to fanbases in the summer – you either panic about recruiting or become unreasonably overconfident about the upcoming season. The recruiting panic was real in early June. “Brian Kelly’s talking weird.” “Brian Kelly’s dancing and grinding on the recruits.” “I don’t know if he fits the culture in Louisiana.” All Kelly did in July was secure commitments from 11 players in one month. The addition of St. Augustine’s offensive tackle Tyree Adams not only added to a position of need but took another step in proving Kelly can recruit highly coveted in-state prospects. This column wasn’t meant to be about recruiting, but what the LSU staff has done lately cannot be ignored. Now, on to players that are already on campus. Today, I’ll start a series of posts that preview the different position groups of the team. The series begins with probably the most impressive group, the wide receivers.

Blessed with speed, change of direction, strong hands, and YAC ability, the quick twitched Kayshon Boutte is the unquestioned star of this group. Now that he’s been awarded the heralded number 7, fans also know that he’s considered a leader of this team. Boutte is projected to be a first round pick by any 2023 mock draft publication of substance; there’s not much more to say about him. The sophomores as a group are as impressive as any one class of receivers I have seen at LSU. Jack Bech led the team in catches last year while playing at tight end. I’ll be blunt – don’t get caught up in stereotypes (deceptive speed, high motor, cerebral, fundamentally sound) when you see him on the field. Bech is proven and will be even better at his natural position of receiver. Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas are the other sophomore wideouts who stood out last year. Nabers displayed ball skills that can’t be taught while making highlight catches look easy. At 6’1″, his vertical and overall athleticism allow him to play bigger than his size. Walker High’s Brian Thomas could be the most intriguing of the group. He’s as athletic (former D1 basketball recruit) as any other receiver in the room, but he’s also 6’4″. Senior Jaray Jenkins, of Jena, LA, always seems to be the forgotten man amongst the receivers, but all he does is keep producing. Jenkins was second on the team in receiving yards in 2021, but more importantly came up big with clutch TD catches when the team needed him the most. Jenkins’ savvy and leadership make him even more valuable to the group. Sophomore Chis Hilton was rated as a top 5 wide receiver recruit by 247sports.com and displays the athletic tools needed to succeed; there simply weren’t enough balls to go around for him in 2021. It won’t be any easier for him to break into the rotation this year with the addition of Kyren Lacy of ULL. It was easy to see Lacy’s big body and ability to stretch the field in the spring, but he’ll have to consistently make the contested catches to stand out in this group. His choice to transfer to LSU tells me that he won’t lack for confidence.

Brian Kelly, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, and QB coach Joe Sloan have all at some point given the same answer when asked of the expectations of the quarterback: get the ball to the playmakers. The coaches know where their strength lies, and these playmakers can make the quarterback’s job a lot easier. I realize what Ohio St. has coming back for 2022, but the LSU wide receivers as a group are as good as any in the country. Geaux Tigers!