Brian Kelly's Take: LSU Football Transfer Wide Receiver To Take Big Role for Tigers

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers wrapped up Spring Camp on Thursday with the coaching staff receiving a 15-plus practice window to evaluate the roster.

At the wide receiver position, the program is loaded from top to bottom after adding a trio of newcomers via the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Alongside returning pieces Aaron Anderson, Chris Hilton, Zavion Thomas and Kyle Parker, LSU reeled in Nic Anderson (Oklahoma), Barion Brown (Kentucky) and Destyn Hill (Florida State).

During camp, the program saw flashes from both Brown and Hill while Anderson eased his way back into the mix.

The Oklahoma standout suffered a quad injury last season with the Sooners and has slowly worked back in the mix during Spring Camp with the Tigers.

But one thing is certain for the Bayou Bengals: Anderson will take on a key role for the program in 2025.

"I think he was a little slowed by an injury that was lingering. We just wanted to be patient with him," Kelly said during Spring Camp. "Nic's a smart kid. He knows his body. He's not a guy that you have to push and say, 'Hey, you know, get out there.'

"When he's ready, he's going to go compete. I think he just has a maturity about him that you don't have to worry about…And as he's gotten healthy, you can see the kind of presence that he has."

Anderson's physical traits stick out most when on the field. The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder has the tools to shine with the Tigers, and with Garrett Nussmeier ready to utilize him as a vertical threat, it's a promising piece to the receiver room.

"He's big, he's physical, he's athletic. I'm excited about him," Kelly said. "I think he's going to be a guy that's going to win some key one-on-one matchups for us with his physicality.

"In particular some of those one-on-one key third-down matchups that you need. So it's nice to see him grounding into form as we get late here into spring practice."

The duo of Anderson and signal-caller Garrett Nussmeier has the chance to wreak havoc in 2025 with the Tigers' quarterback set to enter his second season as the starter.

Nussmeier has pieced together an impressive offseason to this point with the coaching staff raving about what's to come.

He will look to develop across the next few months after piecing together a 2024 campaign where he totaled 3,738 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 12 games played.

"Garrett's fabulous. I've enjoyed coaching him every year in all his different situations and how he's grown, how he's matured, and just the man he's becoming; who he's becoming not only as a football player but as a person," offensive coordinator Joe Sloan said during Spring Camp.

"Garrett was prepared to play, but then there are certain things that he needed to go through that you can only get prepared for by playing. You can only get the experience by playing. I think he's learned from that."

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