LSU Football: Tigers could soon add final assistant now that season is officially over

New LSU football head coach Brian Kelly could be adding his final on-field assistant now that the 2021 season is officially over.

Kelly has hired nine assistants so far. And though not all of those assistants have official titles, it appears that LSU is looking for a wide receivers coach.

(That assumes that Frank Wilson ends up coaching running backs, though he could also coach wide receivers if necessary.)

Football Scoop’s John Brice reported on Monday that LSU is targeting Georgia wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator Cortez Hankton, someone who has been described as a “future head coach”.

Swiping Cortez Hankton from Georgia would be huge for LSU football

Landing Hankton would be a massive get for Kelly and the Tigers.

Hankton is a New Orleans native who spent six seasons in the NFL. He started his coaching career at Dartmouth, serving as the Big Green’s wide receivers coach from 2012-2014. Hankton then spent three seasons at Vanderbilt as a wide receivers coach before landing in Athens as the Bulldogs’ wide receivers coach. He was elevated to passing game coordinator in 2019.

If LSU manages to hire Hankton away from the Bulldogs, it would give Kelly another Louisiana native on his staff, joining Wilson and offensive line coach Brad Davis.

Hiring Hankton would also play well on the recruiting trail for the Tigers. Hankton won a national championship with Georgia on Monday night in Indianapolis. What does it say to recruits that he left that situation to join Kelly at LSU?

I think it sends the message that Hankton views LSU as the better place to be — despite Georgia’s win over Alabama in the national championship.

That’s not a bad message for recruits to hear if you’re the Tigers.