This group needs name tags.
LSU brought in a host of wide outs in the 2025 portal cycle. That group is gone. So, the new staff had to do it again. Nic Anderson, Kyle Parker, Kylan Billiot, Destyn Hill, Jelani Watkins and TaRon Francis all decided to head elsewhere.
That meant nine transfer receivers in as well as three high school signees. Phillip Wright was joined by 13 newcomers in a room that looks nothing like last year’s.
Lane Kiffin said publicly that his intention with wide outs is to diversify the investment at the position to make sure the program has eight or nine good players instead of one standout. Consider that mission accomplished with this crop.
It’s a group with some differing skillsets and intriguing upside. There’s power conference experience and under-the-radar talent. Inevitably, a few of these players will get lost in the wash. In the process, a few will most likely step forward as stars.
WHO’S BACK: Phillip Wright (Fr.)
WHO’S NEW: Roman Mothershed (Transfer – Troy), Winnie Watkins (Transfer – Ole Miss), Tyree Holloway (Transfer – North Florida), Malik Elzy (Transfer – Illinois), Tre Wilson (Transfer – Florida), Jayce Brown (Transfer – Kansas State), Tre Brown (Transfer – Old Dominion), Jackson Harris (Transfer – Hawaii), Mason Dossett (Transfer – Baylor)
WHAT WE KNOW
They brought in size. They brought in speed. They brought in quickness. We’ll take it in that order.
Jackson Harris is 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds. He was a big play threat for Hawaii last year averaging 19.7 yards per catch to lead the Mountain West. He also led the league with 12 touchdown catches.
Roman Mothershed is the tallest pass catcher outside of Trey’Dez Green. The Troy transfer is 6-foot-5 but wasn’t overly productive in his two seasons as a Trojan. He only made 29 catches. Mothershed has a prep basketball background and stands out amongst this group because of his ability to go vertical.
Malik Elzy is the third big frame. He’s 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds and showed himself to be perhaps the most physical receiver on the roster during the spring. Elzy was a top 25 receiver in his high school class according to Rivals. He only started one game in three years at Illinois.
Now, to the speed.
Phillip Wright can absolutely fly. He’s the lone returner at the position. He’s been clocked at under 10.5 in the 100m and won regional titles in the 100m and 200m in high school.
Winnie Watkins was the lone skill position player on offense to make the move from Ole Miss to LSU with the coaching change. He was a spring standout who often ran with the first team. Watkins is only 5-foot-10, but he’s explosive. As a freshman, he made 26 catches for 373 yards and played in all 15 games for a national semi-finalist team.
Tyree Holloway comes from the lower ranks. He was a star for West Florida at the Division 2 level. Last season he made the all-conference team for making 34 catches for 661 yards and eight scores. That’s 19.4 yards per catch. He can move.
The next crop is a combination of quickness and route running ability.
Jayce Brown was one of the headliners of the portal class. He was awesome at Kansas State. He leaves that program in the top 10 in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. He had 34 catches of 20-plus yards and led the Big 12 in 30-plus yard catches.
Tre Wilson was a five-star high school prospect when he signed with Florida. When healthy, he produced. He earned freshman All-American honors in 2023 catching 61 passes for 538 yards and a team-high six scores. He’s only 5-foot-10, but he’s lightening quick.
Tre Brown picked LSU over Ohio State when he left Old Dominion. He’s also 6-foot-2, but he’s on the slender side at 190 pounds, so he doesn’t fit in with Mothershed, Elzy and Harris. He was All- Sun Belt last year and averaged over 20 yards per catch. That’s a theme with a lot of these additions. They make plays down the field.
Josh Jackson comes over from McNeese. He comes from NFL bloodlines. His dad and uncle both played for 7-plus years. He started nine games for McNeese last year and made 20 catches.
HUNT’S TAKE
There are enough lottery tickets here to hit the jackpot.
That’s relative. I’d be stunned if this group looked like Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. I’d also be stunned if we were discussing a lack of playmakers in October. The question becomes, who steps up?
Jayce Brown, Winnie Watkins and Jackson Harris looked like the frontrunners in the spring. That trio provides some size as Harris is 6-foot-2 and rangy. Watkins can fly, and Brown is the most productive transfer. Tre Wilson is probably next on my list.
When you watch the wide outs run routes, it’s obvious Wilson’s change of direction and burst are in a class of his own. Watkins is the only one who rivals him. If Wilson stays healthy, which he struggled to do at Florida, he’s going to be a gamechanger.
My money is on that group of four to lead the way.
Looks for Jayce Brown to be involved in the jet sweep game and intermediate passing attack with his smooth strides and soft hands. Watkins and Harris should average north of 15 yards per catch.
I’m not counting Tre Brown, Malik Elzy and Phillip Wright completely out. That’s some very capable depth that could emerge. They certainly made their share of plays in the spring.
The roster is full of headliners like Sam Leavitt, Jordan Seaton, Princewill Umanmielen and Whit Weeks. Those are All-Americans and future high draft choices. LSU may not have a first rounder at wide out. There might not be an All-American in the bunch. The depth, diversity of skillsets and high floor do make this a very, very exciting group.
Expect LSU to score a lot of points this fall, and the wide outs will play a big role in that.
