LSU 2025 WIDE RECEIVERS ROOM = BEST SINCE 2019???

Lonn Phillips Sullivan
Jul 27
5 min read

Updated: Jul 28

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By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

Will Cortez Hankton's 2025 wide receiver room ultimately become the best LSU has seen since 2019???

Hankton's room is definitely the deepest LSU wide receiver room since 2021-22 (Nabers, Bech, Thomas Jr, Boutte, Lacy RIP), but 2025's unit is replete with a smattering of varying, complimentary profiles...from quick-strike burners to downfield dominators, or towering aerial assassins.

When you have a breadth of talent that deep, led by a quarterback possessing the kind of arm, leadership & steely mentality of quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, it's almost always a strong indication of savage greatness on the horizon.

WRU's 2025 possibilities are tantalizing...perhaps even boundless:

From the proven pedigree of the returning members of the room, fronted by 2024's leading receiver Aaron Anderson, senior Chris Hilton Jr, and highly regarded 2024 part-time starter Kyle Parker to the dynamism of three new WRU transfers (Barion Brown, Nic Anderson, and Destyn Hill), not to mention some solid freshmen or 2nd year Tigers (stud debutanf TaRon Francis, second year talent Kylan Billiot, and track phenom Jelani Watkins), LSU's receiving room is loaded with potential Sunday players.

However, are there too many cooks in the kitchen??? Are there way too many mouths for Nussmeier to feed??

There may be serious issues if the rotation isn't handled correctly (TE Trey'Dez Green also set to be a favorite target of Nussmeier & playcaller Joe Sloan), however....it is undeniable, LSU's 2025 room is a ruthless upgrade over last fall's personnel out wide, they possess the most pass-catching weaponry on a single LSU roster since 2019....and when you add their strong tight end room & dual threat potential of their backs, the LSU aerial game should ascend to another level altogether.

Cortez Hankton's room is led by 2024's most productive receiver, the still underrated red shirt junior Aaron Anderson, placing 7th in the SEC & 1st on the Tigers with 884 yards, 5 TDs (3 arriving on critical downs), 61 grabs (the 3rd most catches in the Southeastern Conference & once again, 1st place at LSU), 16 catches on 3rd or 4th down, before adding 152 return yards & a blistering kickoff return touchdown vs Oklahoma.

During a year where most didn't even believe Anderson would line up a starter, he carried LSU's passing attack on his shoulders, proving he isn't just a speedy burner who can run some of the routes on the tree, the former Edna Karr 5 star became more of a complete receiver during last year's poorly executed and wasteful aerial game, constantly targeted by QB Garrett Nussmeier while under duress.

Chris Hilton Jr also returns for his 5th year as a Tiger, following up his 2 most promising appearances in purple and gold: 2 catches, 2 TDs and 85 yards vs Oklahoma, and 113 yards, 4 grabs & another touchdown vs Baylor.....but of course, these scintillating outings came after Hilton missed the first 7 games of 2024....

Injuries plagued Hilton's 2021 red shirt freshman year, cut out chunks of his 2022 campaign, kept him down the pecking order amid one of LSU's greatest offenses (2023), and right as he continued to separate himself as the #1 wide receiver throughout last fall camp, Hilton's ankle sprain canceled the first half of what should've been his ultimate campaign.

Proving to be an undisputed deep ball threat (9 of his 31 career catches accumulated 40+ yards), catching a touchdown pass once every 5.1 catches, Hilton is blessed with tremendous, maybe boundless potential; His nocturnal speed & venomous downfield threat supplies massive value to Joe Sloan / Cortez Hankton's offense.

While utilized more as a returner (led the SEC in kickoff return yards last year) or in the backfield, 2nd year Tiger Zavion Thomas showcased his dizzying, blurry pace, prophetic vision with the ball, and arresting versatility...holding defenses hostage in certain formations...scoring out of the backfield vs UCLA on a jet sweep after catching a TD vs Nicholls (also his season high in receiving: 50 yards, 5 catches).

Outside of those three main returning receivers, LSU retooled the room with a power trio of fantastic upgrades:

Former Kentucky Wildcat Barion Brown, prior Florida State & local Louisiana native "skyscraper" Destyn Hill, and Oklahoma's 2nd leading receiver in 2023, Nic Anderson.

Known for the most part as a returner game dynamo, Barion Brown is about to erupt as a receiving powerhouse at LSU.

Under the radar & without a solid quarterback at Kentucky, Brown recorded four 100 yard games & 11 receiving TDs (the most TDs of any 2025 WRU member), 2 rushing TDs (195 yards on the ground), recorded a splendid outing @ Ole Miss, alongside 5 kickoff return touchdowns during his 3 seasons at Kentucky (leading the SEC with a trio of return scores in 2023).

During his freshman season in 2022, Barion Brown notably showcased his receiving pedigree vs #1 Georgia, reeling off 145 yards, 10 receptions & 1 TD throughout a 16-6 loss vs Kirby Smart's back to back National Championship-winning squad.

Nic Anderson may be the most overlooked of these new receiving additions, while simultaneously standing among the most likely to erupt this fall. Holding 798 career yards & 10 scores from his time at Oklahoma (2nd in receiving that season), only injuries have held the budding superstar back.

Much like Barion Brown, the former Sooner is blessed with many of the same gifts we've seen for years from the best of the best at LSU: the hands, pure scintillating speed, cleverly disguised releases that leave DBs scalding in the ashes of their wake, deceptive moves, pronounced aerial physicality...but more than anything else, these elite receivers all hold the same ruthless, born to win mentality.

The room is legitimately one of the quickest on record at LSU (as seen below); Elsewhere, Hankton's unit caught 32 combined touchdown catches (both Brown & Nic Anderson over 10 for their career), and with a QB like Nussmeier, and a defense worrying about 4-5 other dynamic options on each play, there is every opportunity for those numbers to increase drastically.

Possessing the deepest receiving corps in the country, Hankton's unit have the necessary profiles: the speed, the hops, the ability to fight for the ball...there are true killers all across the board...

If LSU's offense can exploit their mismatches over the middle of the field via quick-striking slants or inside routes, take ruthless downfield shots twice a quarter (at least), the Tigers will fully unleash the endless yards after catch potential within their receiving corps, they'll control games while negating any offensive line deficiencies, and victory should follow...

2025 WRU have a major chance to challenge 2019, 2023, and 2021-22 for a spot at the table of greatest WRU units, but how far will they push themselves???