The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft saw a record-tying seven wide receivers selected, including five from current SEC schools. Among that group of wideouts were Malik Nabers (No. 6 overall to the New York Giants) and Brian Thomas Jr. (No. 23 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars), who combined for 2,746 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns for the LSU Tigers last season.
LSU Head Coach Brian Kelly Knows Replacing Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr. Won’t Be Easy
Speaking at SEC Media Days on Monday, Tigers head coach Brian Kelly admitted the burden of replacing that level of production cannot just fall on a single player.
“I don’t think you look towards one player,” Kelly said. “I think when we look at our football team in its totality, there will be a number of players that we’ll count on. Kyren Lacy, he will be certainly a player that we lean on. But I think at the wide receiver position, there are probably six to eight players that will get the opportunity to contribute and make an impact.”
No FBS receiving duo in the nation combined for more touchdowns than Nabers and Thomas did last season, and only Washington’s Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk combined for more receiving yards (2,799).
In fact, Nabers’ 1,569 receiving yards (second in FBS) and Thomas’ 17 touchdowns (first in FBS) both represent the highest single-season totals for any player under Kelly since he first became an FBS head coach with Central Michigan in 2004.
With both now playing football on Sundays instead of Saturdays, Kelly realizes that in order for LSU to be successful in 2024, the receiving corps will need production from several individuals.
“I think that’s what I like about our receiving corps more than anything else, is the depth. I think we’ve got speed on the perimeter. Chris Hilton showed that in our bowl game against Wisconsin, his ability to track the ball down the field. I think we’ve got the ability to play inside out at the slot receiver position. I think we’ve got great depth there.”
In addition to Lacy (558 yards, seven TDs) and Chris Hilton Jr. (225 yards, two TDs), who are returning impact players from last season’s roster, LSU added CJ Daniels (from Liberty) and Zavion Thomas (from Mississippi State) through the transfer portal to give starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier more offensive targets.
While Nabers and Thomas elevated the expectations for the receiving group in Baton Rouge before departing for the NFL, Kelly expressed confidence in the players who will have a chance to show what they can do on a national stage.
“I think we brought in the right mix of players to give us the depth necessary inside and out to make up for that lost production.”
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