LSU football position battles: Wide Receiver
Sep 20, 2014; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Malachi Dupre (15) runs after a catch against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Who will get the starting nod?
It’s safe to say Travin Dural will fill one of the starting wide receiver positions for the Tigers.
Dural started every game last season, leading the team with 37 receptions, 758 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns. No other player on the roster even had 20 receptions last year.
Dural was the safety blanket for then-sophomore quarterback Anthony Jennings. Jennings struggled mightily during his first season as the starting quarterback, but when he looked the most comfortable was when he was throwing the ball to Dural.
As the most experienced receiver on the team, Dural will once again be the figurative captain of the wide receiver unit, and he could quite possibly lead the team statistically as well too.
Dural has already led by example this offseason. Two weeks ago, he helped out a woman trapped inside her flipped vehicle while driving to fall camp, a breath of fresh air after the negative headlines that surrounded the LSU football team this offseason.
The second starting wide receiver position will likely belong to Malachi Dupre. The rising star showed his athleticism during his freshman season, making spectacular catches all over the field. He has continued to display his talent this offseason, and he made two spectacular over-the-shoulder grabs during LSU’s annual spring game.
Like Dural was for Jennings, Dupre seemed to be the receiver that then-freshman quarterback Brandon Harris felt most comfortable throwing the ball to. Dupre’s biggest game came against Mississippi State, when he caught four catches for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns. Both touchdowns were thrown by Harris.
Expect Dupre to line up opposite of Dural in most situations when the Tigers show a two-wideout set. The former No. 1 wide receiver in the country out of John Curtis High School in New Orleans was second to Dural on the team in receiving yards and touchdown receptions last season with 318 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Next: Who will earn the third spot when LSU runs three-wide sets?