Amid a flood of questions regarding fifth-year players enrolling at LSU less than two weeks from LSU’s first game, head coach Lane Kiffin did take a question about the players battling for time on the field instead of eligibility.
Do you have a bonafide No. 1 wide receiver?
“We’re still working on that,” Kiffin said. “We’re playing a lot of guys at different spots. I feel like the receivers have done a really good job. There’s a lot of really good players in the room, and it’s been very competitive and just figuring out where they play best. Even though it feels like this is game week just from our intensity, we still got some time.”
Kiffin hasn’t generally produced a clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver who became a high NFL Draft selection.
Last season, Harrison Wallace (934 yards) and De’Zhaun Stribling (811 yards) were only separated by eight yards per game and two total touchdowns. Tre Harris clearly led the way for the 2024 team though injuries cost him four games. Harris was joined by Dayton Wade and Jordan Watkins in 2023, and all three receivers were between 741 yards and 985 yards.
Malik Heath and Jonathan Mingo were separated by eight yards per game in 2022, and both produced five receiving touchdowns
Stribling, Harris and Mingo were all second-round picks, and Watkins went in the fourth.
The Ja’Marr Chase, Malik Nabers, Odell Beckham star has not emerged in a Kiffin offense, though Harris was on his way to a monster year of production in 2024.
This team figures to operate much like those rosters at Ole Miss with a handful of wideouts around the 700-yard mark without having one break through as an All-American.
It appears, based on the reps the media was able to watch and some reporting from Saturday’s scrimmage, that a group of four has emerged at the top.
Winnie Watkins, Jayce Brown, Tre Wilson and Jackson Harris will join Trey’Dez Green as the primary pass catchers. Malik Elzy and Tre’ Brown would be the next group up.
Wilson and Watkins are the quickest options and make a ton of sense in the slot. Jayce Brown is a classic outside route runner, and Harris provides the size and big play ability Kiffin loves to get involved.
Expect to see Jayce Brown and Wilson used in some jet sweep action, too.
The plan for Kiffin all along was to bring a diverse set of skills into the room and let competition sort out the players who get to the field. At that point, the playbook will be tailored to the personnel. That process hasn’t reached its conclusion, but game day is approaching rapidly.
