By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
Following LSU's regular season finale victory over A&M on Senior Day & their 35-31 win over Wisconsin in the Reliaquest Bowl, finishing 10-3 over 13 games, yet another season is in the books, the final fall of the SEC West before conference realignment begins next August.
Now, as the off-season beckons, we have a full picture of who stood out as the 10 best Tigers of 2023....without further explanation, we're going to dive right in, just as we've done every season in which we've covered the team:
2023 TOP 10 COUNTDOWN SO FAR
AND NOW.....#2
#2 MALIK NABERS
1,569 YARDS
89 CATCHES
128 TARGETS
14 TDs
17.6 PER CATCH
-9 GAMES OVER 100 YARDS
-BILETNIKOFF FINALIST* (lost by 1 vote)
-ALL TIME LSU RECEIVING YARDS LEADER
-ALL TIME LSU RECEPTIONS LEADER
Malik Nabers went into LSU's 2023 season with one intention and one purpose only: to become the greatest wide receiver LSU had ever seen, then win a championship plus the Biletnikoff while doing it.
Although he didn't fulfill his goal to the fullest extent as far as a team championship (LSU finishing 10-3), or concerning the disgraceful voting charade of the 2023 Biletnikoff Award (robbed of the award by a single vote), Malik became the most productive receiver in LSU history, topping Josh Reed's 21 year program record, greatly helped Jayden Daniels win the Heisman, and accomplished it all with trademark swaggering dominance.
Eclipsing 100 yards against 9 opponents, hauling in the 3rd all time single game receiving display with his 239 yards vs Miss St (he sat out the entire 4th quarter), racking up 171 against Alabama, scoring the nation's 2nd most TDs at 14 (only behind LSU teammate Brian Thomas Jr), finishing with the most yards of any receiver in America (1,569), Nabers needed barely 3 full seasons to make a name for himself, sealing the #8 upon LSU and college football history....all on his own terms.
When the books are written about LSU's unstoppable 2023 offensive juggernaut, Malik's aerial exploits will remain a key, central component to his Heisman-winning QB's passing game rise and nation-leading success. The off-field friendship & practice field chemistry between JD5 and Nabers created an incendiary in-game bond that repeatedly brought opponents to their knees and drove Tiger fans out of their seats.
As much as Malik possesses all the finesse & griddy-dancing silk of a modern receiver, gliding past defenders with his moves & escalating, elevating supernaut speed, the Lafayette native is also an old school warrior, breaking tackles at will, throwing brutal stiff arms or delivering low shoulder pad maulings; Add his cold blooded blocking skills on the outside & a boundless pain tolerance, and you have a player who would've succeeded in the 70s just as well as 2023 or 2024.
Appearing in a "meaningless" bowl game, the Reliaquest Bowl, as a potential 1st Round NFL Draft pick?
Who does that???
Ballers...that's who....and Malik Nabers defines what a baller, a gamer, a true footballer is all about: soul, heart, drive and guts.
Right now, when fans think of the greatest LSU receivers, Malik is likely behind a few other LSU Tigers of yesteryear; However, in time, I guarantee Nabers' blistering, ruthless, video game automatic 2023 adventure (plus his entire Tiger career) will garner more appreciation for its torrential statistical majesty.
This was a season where Malik Nabers went toe to toe against history and won, achieving 2019-esque statistics & NFL caliber performances throughout 2023.
Nabers leaves behind a legacy of perseverance, "no days off" grit, 3 seasons full of highlight reel plays, leadership by example, and an exhaustive lust for the football that saw him elevated into the history books....now, standing on the shoulders of giants as he prepares for his highly promising NFL future.
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
©️ 2024 Uninterrupted Writings Inc