LSU football offense needs two wide receivers to step up to reach potential

LSU football entered 2025 hoping to be one of the most explosive offenses in the sport. But through five games, LSU still isn't finding the big plays. LSU's explosive play rate is just 12.6%, putting the Tigers in the 22nd percentile. That's well below where the unit wants to be.

The Tigers are 4-1 despite the offensive struggles. An elite defense has kept LSU in the playoff hunt, but as LSU saw vs. Ole Miss, the offense has to carry its end of the bargain, too. That means creating big plays.

LSU can't run the ball. That puts stress on the offense, making it hard to sustain drives. To score points, this offense needs success in the vertical passing game.

That starts with LSU finding ways to get Barion Brown and Chris Hilton Jr. involved. Brown has been a factor to some extent, with 25 catches for 239 yards. The same can't be said for Hilton, who's caught just four passes for 28 yards.

Hilton's stat line doesn't tell the full story, though. Hilton had a beat on the corner several times vs. Ole Miss, but Nussmeier's inaccuracy prevented LSU from establishing that connection. A better thrown ball would have resulted in a touchdown in the second half. Instead, LSU settled for a field goal on the same drive.

As for Brown, his 9.6 yards per catch isn't what LSU expected from the Kentucky transfer.

LSU's offense won't find the explosive plays it's looking for without significant contributions from Hilton and Brown. LSU's leading receiver, Aaron Anderson, is a good player, but he doesn't have the size to win vertically on the outside. Brown and Hilton do.

Nobody is expecting Brown and Hilton to be the explosive duo LSU had with Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr, but LSU needs more than it's getting right now.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU football needs these two wide receivers to emerge in October