I did a handful of radio spots in South Carolina last August.
Everyone was jazzed for LSU’s trip to Clemson, and the host asked me for a player no one was talking about. I thought on it, and I started talking about a little used freshman tight end. In the fourth quarter of the game, I got a text from the producer of the radio show.
“Trey’Dez Green, huh?”
LSU only scored two touchdowns that day. One was set up by a pass interference call on a ball intended for Green. One he scored on a jump ball. He was quite literally the difference in the game.
Bauer Sharp and Donovan Green moved on in the offseason. Sharp was heavily involved in the LSU offense. He caught 24 passes for 252 yards and was the top blocking option.
Lane Kiffin’s offense has a way of featuring its best player. There are a lot of new pieces on the 2026 Tiger offense, but it’s reasonable to suggest the best piece plays tight end.
WHO’S BACK: Trey’Dez Green (Jr.), J.D. LaFluer (Fr.)
WHO’S NEW: Malachi Thomas (Transfer- Pittsburgh), J.C. Anderson (Freshman)
WHAT WE KNOW
Green is a problem for defensive coordinators. That sounds like opinion, but it’s not in this case. He’s 6-foot-7 and can jump like an SEC basketball player. I use “like” because he’s not one anymore. But he was.
His 33 catches for 433 yards doesn’t sound super impactful, but seven of the catches were for scores. That’s the most for a tight end in LSU history.
LSU routinely motioned him out to the empty side of the formation and threw him jump balls. Opposing defenses never really found an answer for it. College football doesn’t feature a 6-foot-7 defender in the secondary. Green’s leaping ability doesn’t help. Twenty-five of his 33 catches went for first downs or touchdowns.
LSU WR Trey'Dez Green showing off his athleticism at practice 😳
LSU's WR room could be SCARY in 2026 pic.twitter.com/tZo6CNxXZ8
— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) April 2, 2026
Malachi Thomas is 6-foot-3 and 242 pounds. He’s got two years off college football under his belt at Pittsburgh. He only started two games in two years and totaled 15 catches for 214 yards and three scores. when he signed with the Panthers, he was a a three-star prospect without another power five offer.
J.D LaFluer’s father is one of the best tight ends in LSU history. David LaFluer was an All-American in 1996 and a first round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys. He passed along his size. J.D. is 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds. He did not play last year as a freshman but is a big body in the tight end room.
J.C. Anderson followed Lane Kiffin and Joe Cox as an Ole Miss commitment who flipped when the staff changed. He’s massive at 6-foot-6 and 256 pounds. And he can move. ESPN rated him the No. 3 tight end nationally after he caught 46 passes for 578 yards as a senior and played a big role for the basketball team.
HUNT’S TAKE
Green is going to be a focal point of the offense.
I can’t speak too confidently about the wide receiver pecking order, but Green is a certainty. He’s just got a skillset no defender can duplicate in terms of his height, length and vertical. I expect Green to set an LSU record for catches and yards this year. This offense is going to run a ton of plays, and Green is going to be involved in a ton of them.
As far as the blocking part of the game, Green is willing but not as able. That’s where the other three can absolutely help. All three are over 240 pounds. I expect Thomas to be a part of the two tight end sets early on. Her’s not going to be a dynamic receiving option, but he’ll be avaialable.
It’s hard to project LaFluer or Anderson to play a huge role, especially considering Green likely won’t come off the field. Both are intriguing prospects because of their size. They just have to be willing to wait.
This is a spot on the field where LSU is legitimately the best in the country. Those are rare. Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr. realize that, and it will be game changing this fall.
