One of the biggest questions in LSU’s fall camp is simple: who rises to the top at wide receiver?
There’s a lot still unsettled on the depth chart, especially with only one returning wide receiver in the mix. But one name already looks like a safe bet to start and make a real impact: Kansas State transfer Jayce Brown.
Brown arrives in Baton Rouge after three seasons with the Wildcats, where he finished among the program’s top 10 in receiving yards, receptions and receiving touchdowns. LSU is counting on him to help give the offense a different shape in 2026.
The early signs are promising. Brown has already been working to build timing with his quarterbacks and the rest of the receiver room as this new group gets set for the season. He was one of seven pass-catchers who joined quarterbacks Sam Leavitt and Landen Clark at the Throw It Deep QB Academy in Dallas last week.
That kind of work matters even more because Leavitt missed spring practices while recovering from foot surgery. He’s now fully healthy, and getting him synced up with Brown in the summer and fall could pay off quickly.
Of course, Brown is not the kind of target you casually stay attached to. He’s a burner.
On July 14, he posted on his Instagram story that he hit 23 mph in a workout. That speed showed up in his production last year, when he finished with 712 yards and five touchdowns.
And he creates separation in a hurry. Nearly 30% of his catches at Kansas State went for at least 20 yards.
He led the Big 12 in receptions of 30 or more yards last season and ranked second in receptions of 40 or more yards. The big-play profile is obvious.
That fits cleanly into the pace of the offense Kiffin runs. During Kiffin’s time at Ole Miss, receivers produced huge numbers in short seasons, including Elijah Moore’s 1,193 yards in 2020 and Tre Harris’ 1,030 in 2024, both in eight games.
Brown doesn’t need a mountain of catches to do damage, but he may end up with them anyway. His career high is 47 receptions, set in 2024, and that mark looks likely to be surpassed in 2026.
He won’t be carrying the passing game alone, either. Trey’Dez Green, Winnie Watkins and Jackson Harris are all expected to be heavily involved, giving LSU a receiver group that should be difficult to defend. For Brown, that kind of company could open the door to a massive season.
In Other News...
Will Wade Just Got A Rare Portal Opportunity At LSU
A recent wave of court rulings has opened an unusual door in college basketball, and LSU is sitting in a spot where it can take advantage. With eligibility questions changing for some fifth-year players, the Tigers suddenly have a chance to shop in a part of the transfer market that usually is hard to access, especially for veterans who have already logged major minutes elsewhere and can help right away.
That matters in Baton Rouge because LSU has real room to maneuver and a chance to add proven experience around its current group. The pool of available names includes several returning players with track records worth watching, and if the Tigers want to raise the floor of the roster quickly, this is the kind of window programs do not get very often. [Read more 🡒]
Barion Brown Is Forcing Saints Fans To Rethink His Ceiling
Barion Brown has started to turn heads in padded training camp work, giving the Saints a better idea of what they may have in the rookie receiver beyond the return game. With Ja'Lynn Polk retired, there has been a little more room for Brown to show what he can do in a more traditional offensive role, and he has taken advantage of the reps by coming down with meaningful catches and creating separation from defenders.
That kind of progress matters for a player whose college production and return ability helped get him drafted in the first place, but whose path to a roster spot was never going to be simple. The encouraging part for New Orleans is that Brown no longer looks like just a special teams piece fighting for a foothold, and the next stretch of camp should help clarify whether that early momentum carries into a bigger role. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Reported Money Plan Could Change Everything For Tigers Athletics
LSUs next big money move appears to be taking shape in a way that could look a lot different from the private-equity routes other programs have considered. Recent reporting says the school is exploring an LSU-controlled limited liability company built to invest in businesses that generate recurring revenue, with the athletic department potentially keeping control of how the whole thing operates. The structure could also include a nonprofit arm, which would give the plan a more familiar university footprint even as it points toward a more aggressive financial strategy.
Before anything becomes real, LSU is waiting on a third-party valuation and guidance from the IRS. That means the concept is still in the review stage, and plenty of the most important details remain unclear, including what specific investments the LLC might target or how the day-to-day mechanics would work. But even in outline form, the idea signals a program looking for a different kind of long-term revenue engine, one that could reshape how Tigers athletics is funded if the legal and financial pieces fall into place. [Read more 🡒]