LSU Tigers: Top 5 offensive players to watch for in 2023

The LSU Tigers are a projected top-10 team going into the 2023 season. We concur and believe there’s 5 top offensive players that will make it happen. 

Ranking the top five LSU Tigers on offense for 2023 is a difficult task but a good problem to have. As a result, we start with an honorable mention.

Our honorable mention goes to a Baton Rouge native and standout wide receiver at Catholic High School. He was also one of LSU’s most sought-after recruits in the 2023 class.

Honorable Mention – Shelton Sampson Jr., Wide Receiver

Shelton Sampson steps into a crowded receiver room that includes Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr, and Alabama transfer Aaron Anderson. It’ll be hard for Brian Kelly to keep such a talent off the field, so look for him to make an impact on the field come September.

Sampson is a 4-star recruit that ranks as the 15th wide receiver and the 4th best Louisiana prospect on 247 composite rankings. Sampson helped Catholic to a 12-1 record and the Louisiana Division I State Championship in 2022.

Sampson is now the 2nd-tallest WR (6-3) in Death Valley, behind only Brian Thomas. His size and athleticism will make him a downfield threat that can high-point 50/50 balls over smaller defensive backs.

Sampson held offers from Alabama, Florida State, Arizona State, and Arkansas before committing to the LSU Tigers. In his senior season, Sampson logged 79 receptions, 1,152 yards, and 18 touchdowns en route to the State Championship. Additionally, he ran track and field in high school, running the 100-meter and participating in the high jump.

No. 5 – Josh Williams, Running Back

Josh Williams will cement his spot as the LSU Tigers’ top running back with With Armoni Goodwin and John Emery Jr. currently off the field.

Early injuries to Goodwin and Emery in 2022 thrust Williams into significant playing time. Against Auburn, he totaled a career-high 17 carries for 68 yards and added on two receptions. From that game forward, Williams became the Tigers’ backfield workhorse.

Williams posted a pair of 100-yard games in 2022. Against Florida, he logged 106 yards on 14 carries – the first 100-yard game of his career. His second 100-yard game came in the final regular game of the season against Arkansas. His 118 yards helped the LSU Tigers come away with a gritty 13-10 win in Fayetteville.

Josh Williams comes from a family of athletes, as his father played four seasons in the NFL with the Buccaneers, Raiders, Jaguars, and Chiefs. In addition, his little brother, Jordan, is a Division I athlete, playing college basketball at Texas A&M.

The native of Houston, Texas, held multiple Division I offers coming out of high school from Universities such as Drake and Dayton. However, he turned down their offers and bet on himself at LSU. Once on campus, Williams walked onto the program and served on the scout team. He watched one of the greatest college football teams from the bench and earned a full scholarship heading into the 2020 season.

Through his first two seasons, Williams tallied 195 rushing yards on 45 attempts, including five receptions for 11 yards. But this did not discourage Williams; it only made him want it more.

No. 4 – Will Campbell, Offensive Tackle

Will Campbell played 973 snaps in his true freshman season and allowed just three sacks against some of the nation’s top-tier pass rushers. Look for him to build on his 2022 performance and elevate as a top offensive tackle in college football.

The LSU Tigers started two true freshman tackles in 2022 in Campbell and Emery Jones. Starting kids less than a year removed from high school at offensive tackle is uncommon. A team starting a pair of brand-new collegiate players at both tackle positions is even rarer. However, the LSU Tigers defied the odds in 2022, and it worked.

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Both tackles exceeded expectations by a large margin, but Campbell really stood out. Campbell earned an 86.5 pass-blocking grade by PFF, behind only one Power 5 tackle: Top NFL draft prospect Peter Skoronski.

Coming out of high school, Campbell was the second-ranked player in Louisiana. He ranked as the 4th best tackle prospect in the nation by 247 Sports and 36th overall.

Brian Kelly was known for putting out some elite offensive tackles at Notre Dame. He coached NFL tackles such as Ronnie Staley, Zach Martin, and Quenton Nelson during his tenure with the Irish.

No. 3 – Aaron Anderson, Wide Receiver

Aaron Anderson brings speed and agility to the LSU Tigers’ wide receiver and special teams rooms. He is 5-10 and 185 pounds but plays much bigger and stronger on offense and as a kick-returner. Additionally, Anderson excels at breaking tackles in the open field.

Unfortunately, Anderson is still recovering from his knee injury but is on track to return this fall. He brings high-level explosiveness to an offense that ranked 9th in the SEC in yards per attempt.

Anderson is one of Brian Kelly’s latest top-100 recruit from the transfer portal class. He entered the portal after one uneventful season with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Anderson is a native of New Orleans and committed to Alabama over the LSU Tigers, Arkansas, Florida State, Texas, USC, and others.

He played his high school ball at Edna Karr in New Orleans. There, he eclipsed over 6,000 yards of offense and over 20 return touchdowns in his high school career. At Edna Karr, he also ran track. He broke 11 seconds in the 100-meter dash multiple times in his career and placed sixth in the Louisiana 4A track and field finals.

Coming out of high school, Anderson was ranked the 49th best prospect in the nation and 4th best receiver by 247 Sports. He made his collegiate debut against Austin Peay but suffered a knee injury that sidelined him for the season. In December, Anderson entered his name into the transfer portal.

No. 2 – Malik Nabers, Wide Receiver

Malik Nabers is another wide receiver familiar to LSU Tigers fans and one to watch out for this season. He begins his junior season in Baton Rouge after breaking onto the scene in 2022.

Nabers was the Tigers leading receiver in 2022, beating out NFL Draft prospect Kayshon Boutte, who many thought would be among the nation’s top wideouts. Instead, Nabers hauled in 72 catches for 1,072 yards and three touchdowns. He had three 100-yard games, including 163 yards in the Cheez-it Citrus Bowl against Purdue, where he was named MVP.

Nabers, another Louisiana native, committed to LSU in December 2020 and enrolled the following spring. He played his high school ball at Southside High in Youngsville, Louisiana. During his freshman season, he caught 28 balls for 417 yards and four touchdowns.

Unfortunately, Nabers was arrested during the Lundi Gras festival on a misdemeanor gun charge. Prosecutors agreed to drop the charges as long as Nabers did not retain possession of the weapon. Brian Kelly said Nabers would not miss time in the 2023 season.

Nabers returning means starting quarterback Jayden Daniels gets his top target back. Look for Nabers to build on his 2022 campaign and post even more significant numbers than last season.

No. 1 – Jayden Daniels, Quarterback

If it wasn’t obvious enough, Jayden Daniels is the top offensive player to watch for in 2023.

Daniels enters his final season as the presumed LSU Tigers starting quarterback in 2023. Some fans have criticized Daniels for not pushing the ball downfield. Moreover, Brian Kelly admitted his preference for the signal-caller to be more aggressive with throws. Regardless, Daniels proved he could work the short game and run the ball with the best of them.

Daniels came out the gates on fire in 2022 and accounted for 781 yards, eight touchdowns, and no interceptions through the season’s first three games. From there, it was evident to all LSU Tigers fans that Daniels was the rightful QB1.

Daniels entered the transfer portal after three seasons at Arizona State. Later, he committed to Kelly’s LSU Tigers before the 2022 season.

In his first season in the purple and gold, Daniels threw for 2,913 yards, 17 touchdowns, and two interceptions, nearly identical to his freshman year stats. However, fans must remember he did this against the SEC competition compared to the Pac-12 competition in 2019. He also added a career-high in rushing yards and a touchdown with 885 and 11, respectively.

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As a freshman at Arizona State in 2019, Jayden Daniels posted solid numbers. He tossed for 2,943 yards, 17 touchdowns, and only two interceptions. In the COVID-shortened 2020, Daniels only played four games, throwing for 701 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception. He returned in 2021 and didn’t have the season many expected. Daniels threw for 2,380 yards and ten touchdowns but also ten interceptions.

Coming into his career at LSU, many fans had their doubts about Jayden Daniels. He came into camp and battled with Garrett Nussmeier and freshman Walker Howard for the top quarterback spot. Daniels won the job after a long battle in camp, but Kelly never ruled out the possibility of fans seeing Nussmeier come in at some point.

Daniels had the opportunity to enter his name in the NFL Draft, but after talks with Kelly, he decided to stay for his senior season. We’ll see if he can push the ball downfield more with newcomers Aaron Anderson and Shelton Sampson Jr in 2023.