LSU football coordinator says veteran wide receiver can take LSU's offense to next level
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was effective in the quick game and intermediate areas, but LSU lacked the personnel to push the ball down the field. LSU's lack of a run game played a part but LSU didn't have the speed on the outside to run by defensive backs. Chris Hilton does, though.
Hilton finally got back to full health in LSU's final two games of 2024 and it added another element to LSU's offense. Hilton combined for 218 yards and three touchdowns vs. Oklahoma and Baylor and LSU's passing game looked like a complete product.
Hilton is gearing up for year five at LSU. And with an offseason of good health, a true breakout year could be in store.
Hilton i entering year five at LSU. After a healthy offseason, Hilton is staring at a career year. LSU offensive coordinator Joe Sloan is ready to see Hilton's full impact.
"I think you can look at the last couple games last year, our ability to attack vertically really changes when he's out there," Sloan said.
Hilton averages 21.2 yards per catch in his career at LSU. Even when the consistency hasn't been there, the big play potential has.
"Being able to push the ball down the field is a huge thing. Chris has been consistent. I think he has a great attitude, great body language and is attacking every day," Sloan said.
Hilton signed with LSU in 2021 -- the same class as Nussmeier. Ed Orgeron was still head coach when Hilton signed his letter of intent. Hilton was a four-star recruit and No. 79-ranked player in the class. He's talented, but injuries have prevented Hilton from being a top contributor on a weekly basis.
"He's going to play really good football. I've been excited for him. I know he's been through a lot," Sloan said.
LSU's offense needs to take another step if it hopes to reach the College Football Playoff. The Tigers can't do that without an explosive passing game.
"When safeties come down, we need to be able to push the ball down the field. And Chris absolutely helps us. Because ultimately it's about scoring points. It's not just about yards, right? Yards is one thing. But we've got to score points. And that comes from, you know, explosive – a lot of times it comes from explosive play touchdowns. And he definitely gives us the opportunity to do that," Sloan said.
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Indianapolis Star
an hour ago
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana football had No. 2 defense last season. With cornerstones back, how good can it be?
Curt Cignetti fought to retain defensive coordinator Bryant Haines in the offseason and was successful. Staff continuity is a highlight of Cignetti's offseason as much as the players he brought to Indiana football, and perhaps most importantly retained, in the transfer portal have the Hoosiers thought of highly and not just a one-hit wonder. Cignetti's team ranked No. 19 in the US LBM coaches rankings released in early August. Haines coordinated a defense that was second nationally last season and sixth in scoring, despite losses to the two College Football Playoff national championship game competitors Notre Dame and Ohio State. And the Hoosiers get back a big three of sorts, one at each level, to build on the culture set last season. That includes Mikail Kamara at defensive end, Aiden Fisher at linebacker and D'Angelo Ponds at cornerback. IndyStar IU insider Zach Osterman and Herald-Times reporter Michael Niziolek huddled with IndyStar assistant sports editor Aaron Ferguson to discuss how the defense will make an impact on IU football. Here is their conversation. Ferguson: Michael, I think the response to your breakout players question that interested me most was the number of guys listed on defense. That there were so many guys makes me wonder, where does IU need someone to step up the most defensively? Osterman: The idea of a breakout player has changed, I think. We used to associate that with young players emerging as impact players, and it still applies (Rolijah Hardy would be one potential example). But with the portal now I think the question has shifted to, which transfers should people expect to make an impact right away? And in a lot of ways, I think that starts on the defensive line, with Hosea Wheeler, Stephen Daley, Kellan Wyatt and Dominique Ratcliff all players IU might have serious need of this season. Having said all that, if we're thinking about breakout player in the more traditional sense, I don't think we're talking enough about Tyrique Tucker. He was overshadowed by players ahead of him (C.J. West, James Carpenter) last fall. But he's one of the highest-graded returning interior defensive linemen per PFF, and when he played last year he made a difference. The remodel of the defensive line has been so substantial by necessity I think people have forgotten about Tucker, and I suspect he'll be very important for IU this season. Niziolek: Yeah, it's on the defensive line. Kamara gives them serious returning production, but he can't do it alone. If no one steps up around him it's going to be easy for opposing teams to scheme up plans to slow him down. The chaos IU causes up front is also a foundational piece of Haines' scheme. He wants his guys living in the backfield and presents a variety of fronts to keep opposing quarterbacks on their toes. Haines had four veteran starters last season and two of those (Kamara and Carpenter) had been with him for years. Tucker's experience backing up Carpenter is invaluable, but I'd say at least two of the defensive linemen that Zach mentioned really need to be consistent contributors. I also wouldn't look past Mario Landino, a true sophomore who the coaching staff has been really high on since he got on campus last year. He was the first name Kamara mentioned when I asked him about a potential breakout player for 2025 on defense. A 'freak,' a transfer and a bunch more: Who are Indiana football breakout players for 2025? Ferguson: One of the interesting things about IU's returners is the core three of Kamara, Fisher and Ponds returning. Obviously it's a benefit to have one at each position group, but is it more so than, say, returning an entire D-line? What does IU gain from having one great player at each level returning, and what is the greatest strength? Niziolek: Stability and leadership. Haines and his defensive assistants have veteran guys that can help teach their system. Zach mentioned Hardy, and he's a perfect example of a guy that's flourished thanks in part to having Fisher and former IU linebacker Jailin Walker mentor him. He started asking them questions about the playbook the moment he got to Bloomington and they set up him up for success. Kamara and Ponds (along with veteran safety Amare Ferrell) are doing the same thing in their position rooms. Osterman: I also think it's basic but helpful for Haines and his defensive staff to have knowns at every level. If you have to work through your tackle rotation, or ease in 'backers who will need more experience, or decide who your second and third corners are, there's assurance in the foundation players like Kamara, Fisher, Ponds and Ferrell provide. In their playmaking, yes, but also in the sense that you have proven cornerstones across the breadth of your defense you can rely on, while you spend the early part of the season sorting through the question marks. How many Big Ten defenses have all-conference caliber players at every level before a ball is snapped? That's a measure of security that allows Haines and staff to take some calculated risks or absorb growing pains elsewhere. Ferguson: Indiana's defense was second nationally and sixth in scoring last year despite losses to Notre Dame and Ohio State. What needs to happen for the Hoosiers to challenge their numbers from last year, considering challenging games at Oregon and at Penn State this season? Osterman: Yeah, it's definitely possible this group is as good (or maybe even a touch better) defensively, with worse numbers, simply because of the schedule. I think the key for Indiana will be the staples of Haines' defenses throughout his time with Cignetti: havoc plays. Sacks, TFLs, turnovers. Anything that moves an offense backward. Some of Indiana's per-game numbers were probably inflated (deflated?) by their schedule last season, but the disruptive metrics have consistently been a feature of Haines' units. As long as that stays, IU should be fine. Niziolek: Indiana's turnover margin is worth mentioning here as well. The Hoosiers were plus-15 last year (ranked No. 5 in the country) and forced 24 turnovers (tied for 17th in the FBS). They were 6-0 whenever they forced multiple turnovers. The pressure they put on opposing quarterbacks contributed to some of those, but IU's secondary made plenty of plays too with Ferrell and Ponds combining for seven interceptions. Indiana has to be opportunistic again if they want to match the kind of overall success they had last season. Ferguson: We've talked plenty about the strengths here. What areas of concern need to be addressed with fall camp? Osterman: It's simplistic, but can the staff get evaluations correct again? The James Madison-to-IU transfer narrative probably got a little overplayed last season, but it was more valid on defense than on offense. If you'd made a list of Indiana's most important players defensively in 2024, I would argue five of the top eight were James Madison transfers, and two of the remaining three the staff would have known well from their time at Old Dominion (same conference as JMU). The evaluations of these replacements are going to be in depth just by the nature of Cignetti's scouting and film study. But getting it so right again in terms of fit and chemistry, when you have fewer of those players Mike talked about that can act as leaders via their knowledge of the system, does leave some vulnerability. I am curious to see how different some of the peripheral holdovers outside the former JMU contingent look. If the likes of Hardy, Isaiah "Bones" Jones and Landino show real improvement, I think that's encouraging for the future and not just 2025. Niziolek: Indiana still has to figure out what much of the two-deep looks like on the defensive line and secondary. The Hoosiers have veterans they are building around at both spots, but they have plenty of question marks to sort through. Can spring transfers Daley and Wyatt hit the ground running at defensive end? Do they rely on a safety or corner to play rover? Are promising young defensive linemen like Landino and Daniel Ndukwe ready for larger roles? Those are all things that will play out in fall camp.
Fox Sports
9 hours ago
- Fox Sports
College Football Playoff Party Crashers: Who Will Be This Year's Surprise CFP Teams?
College Football College Football Playoff Party Crashers: Who Will Be This Year's Surprise CFP Teams? Published Aug. 15, 2025 8:40 p.m. ET share facebook x reddit link At least one team is going to break the system in 2025. It happens every year — a so-called nobody storms into the College Football Playoff race and sends shockwaves through the sport. We saw it last year with Arizona State, Boise State, Indiana and SMU making the CFP after being excluded from the preseason AP Top 25 poll. Tennessee made the CFP last year after being picked to finish seventh in the conference. So, who'll be this year's Arizona State, Boise State, Indiana, SMU or Tennessee? FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt attempted to answer that question in the most recent episode of his podcast, "The Joel Klatt Show," picking one team from each of the Power 4 conferences most likely to play spoiler. ADVERTISEMENT Following a 6-7 season in 2024, Washington has the strongest chance of the Big Ten teams ranked outside the preseason AP Top 25 to make a CFP run in 2025, according to Klatt. "Nobody's talking about Washington, and Washington's got something cooking with Jed Fisch," Klatt said. "They went to a bowl game in his first season, and he basically had to start from scratch after Kalen DeBoer left." To Klatt's point, only four players who recorded an offensive snap in Washington's loss to Michigan in the 2023 national championship game remained on the roster in 2024, according to The Athletic . As the Huskies have more stability entering 2025, Klatt said that they might have the best quarterback (Demond Williams Jr.), running back (Jonah Coleman) and wide receiver (Denzel Boston) in the Big Ten. "Williams flashed in the bowl game, with over 400 total yards and five touchdowns against Louisville," Klatt said. "Coleman is one of the best backs in the league and Boston is a guy who could end up being, I think, one of the top three or four wide receivers in all the Big Ten. "If you take Ohio State out of the equation, he would be in the mix as one of the best wide receivers in the Big Ten." Denzel Boston was 10th in the Big Ten in receiving yards this past season. (Photo by) Defensively, Klatt is a fan of new defensive coordinator Ryan Walters, who had previous success in the same role at Illinois. He also loves Washington's home-field advantage, as the Huskies have won 20 straight games on their home turf. Three of their four toughest games are at home as well, playing host to Ohio State, Oregon and Illinois, while their game against Michigan is in Ann Arbor. Klatt does question if Washington's offensive line is good enough for it to make a surprise run, as the unit gave up the most sacks in the Big Ten last year. Still, he's "bullish" on the Huskies entering 2025. "If they get any momentum whatsoever, protect their quarterback and protect their home field, this is a team that could absolutely be a 9-2 team hosting Oregon in the last week of the season. If they're in that boat, they could absolutely claim that if they win that game, they would go to the college football playoff." Others considered: Nebraska, USC Klatt considered Nebraska largely due to Matt Rhule entering his third year at the helm in Lincoln, citing the third-year improvements he made at Temple (six to 10 wins) and at Baylor (seven to 11 wins), but he didn't pick the Cornhuskers due to their defensive situation, losing defensive coordinator Tony White, along with defensive tackles Nash Hutmacher and Ty Robinson. USC was also considered, with Klatt saying he liked the play out of quarterback Jayden Maiava at the end of the year. Maiava, who took over for Miller Moss, won three of the four games he started, including an upset win over Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl, as he threw for 1,201 yards and six interceptions to go with 15 total touchdowns in the seven games he played. However, Klatt doesn't like USC's schedule, which includes matchups against Illinois, Michigan, Notre Dame and Iowa. "I think that's a bar that's a bit too high for them to get over to that 10-win, 11-win mark," Klatt said. While Missouri might have underwhelmed relative to expectations last year, Klatt thinks that the Tigers could overperform in 2025. They haven't named a starting quarterback yet, but Klatt is a fan of former Penn State QB Beau Pribula and thinks the defense "should be pretty good." However, what separates Missouri from the other contenders to be the best sleeper team in the SEC is its schedule. "They hit the schedule lottery," Klatt said. "Teams from the SEC not on Missouri's schedule: Texas, Georgia, LSU, Florida, Ole Miss and Tennessee. The only school in the country to have six home games to start the year? Missouri. The toughest games are going to be Alabama and South Carolina, but those fall into the first half of the season at home. It also plays Texas A&M, which is later in the year at home as well. "If Pribula, or whoever their quarterback is, hits, they're probably going to play quality defense and all they'll have to do is protect their home field. … I think they can be 7-1 going into November." Former Penn State quarterback Beau Pribula might be Missouri's starting quarterback in 2025. (Photo by) Others considered: Auburn, Oklahoma Klatt considered picking Auburn to be his dark horse team in the SEC after a 5-7 season because the Tigers recorded the most starts by freshmen of any power conference team in 2024. He also likes the addition of quarterback Jackson Arnold to an offense that includes a pair of talented wide receivers (Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton Jr.), but he also thinks that asking Auburn to make the CFP in 2025 might be too tall an ask. "That is a huge jump, and in particular in that conference, it's hard to make a jump because I think that the margin between the great teams in the SEC and the teams in the middle of the pack of the SEC are bigger than in most conferences," Klatt said. As for Oklahoma, Klatt is also a fan of the moves it made on offense, hiring former Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle for the same role while adding signal-caller John Mateer and running back Jadyn Ott. In fact, Klatt said he'd probably pick Oklahoma to be his sleeper team in the SEC if its schedule wasn't so brutal. "They've had a losing record two of the last three years, and now they face a schedule where their last seven games look like this: Texas (neutral site), at South Carolina, Ole Miss, at Tennessee, at Alabama, Missouri and LSU. C'mon, they went 2-6 in SEC play in their first year last year with largely the same type of schedule, and I think this one might even be more difficult." Big 12: Utah Utah's 2024 season fell way short of expectations, going 5-7 after many predicted the Utes to win the Big 12. That isn't stopping Klatt from predicting them to be the top sleeper team in the conference in 2025, though. "When nobody is talking about them, that is when they're at their most dangerous," Klatt said. "Coming off a season where they went 5-7, that was all injury-related for Kyle Whittingham, in particular at the quarterback position. They had to start four different quarterbacks during the year." While Cam Rising is no longer a part of the mix for Utah at quarterback, it brought in former New Mexico quarterback Devon Dampier, who was named first-team All-Mountain West last year. He threw for 2,768 yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions to go with 1,166 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns. New Mexico transfer Devon Dampier adds an element to Utah's offense that it hasn't had at quarterback in recent years. (Photo by Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) "They upgraded significantly at that position with New Mexico transfer Devon Dampier," Klatt said. "I think they'll be a little bit more of an RPO-style team, which will help their offensive line and run game." Klatt also likes Utah's schedule, as all three of its games vs. teams ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 poll are at home. Others considered: Baylor, Colorado, TCU, Kansas Baylor received consideration due to its strong end to the regular season (six-game win streak), quarterback play (Sawyer Robertson threw for over 3,000 yards) and running back play (Bryson Washington; 1,028 yards, 12 touchdowns). But even though Klatt said that Robertson and Washington might make up the best QB-RB duo in the Big 12, he isn't a fan of its schedule. As for Colorado, having to replace Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter while trying to make the CFP is too much of an ask, Klatt said. TCU received consideration because of quarterback Josh Hoover and its improved defensive play. However, Klatt cited a tough seven-game stretch as a reason for a possible setback for TCU. Finally, he's a fan of Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels as well, but thinks the Jayhawks are too dependent on him. Georgia Tech nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the college football season last year, taking Georgia to eight overtimes. As Haynes King showed his toughness in that game, Klatt "loves" the quarterback and this team going into 2025. "I thought deeply and for a long time about putting them in my top 25, and I just couldn't," Klatt said. "I liked the other teams there more. It's not that I didn't like Georgia Tech. Haynes King and Jamal Haynes, the running back, that's a really good combination. I love the fact that they can play with the best teams in the country. "The way they played in Athens against Georgia last year is going to just always resonate in my mind. The play of King that night, the play of their defense, even though they have to get better on defense, they fought and scrapped. They had a big lead in that game." Haynes King had a standout performance in Georgia Tech's near upset of Georgia last season, scoring five total touchdowns. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) As Georgia Tech opens the year at Colorado, Klatt believes that the Yellow Jackets have the opportunity to "put themselves on the map" if they win that game. If they do so, he likes their schedule the rest of the way. "They get Clemson at home and Georgia on a neutral field," Klatt said. "That's a team that could easily go 10-2, and a 10-2 Georgia Tech team, in particular, with the way that they played Georgia last year and the opportunity to still play Georgia this year, how they play in [against Clemson and Georgia] games is going to matter." Others considered: Louisville, Duke, Florida State While Klatt likes the consistency of head coach Jeff Brohm and incoming transfer Miller Moss, he doesn't like Louisville's schedule, which includes matchups against Clemson, Miami (Fla.) and SMU. "I don't know if a 10-win ACC team is going to cut it," Klatt said. "There will be a 10-2 SEC team. I know there will be a 10-2 Big Ten team. Those teams will not be playing for their conference championships, and they will get the benefit of the doubt over a 10-2 Louisville." Duke also received consideration from Klatt thanks to head coach Manny Diaz, incoming quarterback Darian Mensah and its 16-3 home record over the last three seasons. Klatt thought about Florida State as well, but realized it has too long of a losing track record as of late. "You realize that the 10-win seasons are actually the anomaly, the sub-.500 seasons are actually the rule," Klatt said of Florida State. "That's problematic." Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily. What did you think of this story? share
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
What John Mateer's Venmo history means for Oklahoma Sooners
Late Monday night, social media started to buzz around John Mateer's public Venmo history. On one payment it says "Sports gambling (UCLA vs USC)" from November of 2022. What does this mean for Oklahoma and its new quarterback? Watch here as George Stoia III joins Andy from On3's SoonerScoop website to breakdown the latest. Will anything come of this? 0:00 Intro 0:54 George Stoia Joins 2:33 John Mateer and his Venmo account 12:50 Rhoback 14:04 What happens next at OU? George's story here:
