With LSU Football's Ja'Marr Chase Opting Out in 2020, What Does Receiver Depth Chart Look Like?
LSU football will have to carry on the 2020 season without its most productive returning player in the lineup. Sunday's news that junior receiver Ja'Marr Chase would opt out of the 2020 season sparked questions across social media about what it means for the outlook of the season.
How do you replace the talent behind 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns from 2019? What does the depth chart at receiver look like? Who will take the No. 7 jersey? These questions will become more clear as the next few weeks without Chase start to settle in.
Luckily for the purple and gold, receiver was a position of depth heading into the season and many players will need to step up with Chase's departure. The obvious choices here are junior Terrace Marshall, freshman tight end Arik Gilbert and senior Racey McMath.
Marshall recently said in an episode of Hey Fightin' Podcast that his goals for 2020 would be 100+ receptions and 20 touchdowns, much like his teammate did a season ago. Now he'll get his chance to be the No. 1 guy for an offense that hasn't changed in philosophy.
Developing that rapport with Myles Brennan is the keys to the ignition and Marshall believes that chemistry is really starting to take off.
“During this offseason, we’ve had plenty of time to go out there, run routes and catch balls to get our timing down and chemistry up,” Marshall said on LSU Sixty in July . “It’s going to be good going into fall camp knowing we have a quarterback we can trust in. I’m excited to see what Myles can do.”
The freshman phenom Gilbert will now be asked to serve an even greater role with the offense as well. Coach Ed Orgeron can't go one press conference or interview without being asked about Gilbert's development with the offense.
On Tuesday, during his second media interview of the season, Orgeron said the plan is for the team to have Gilbert learn the tight end position before becoming to multiple in the way he's used on the field.
“We want him to learn tight end, get the tight end down. We’re doing a lot of stuff with him," Orgeron said. "We’re flexing him out. He’s in motion. He’s got to do this on this play, do this on this play so we want him to learn the tight end position and get good at that. Then, eventually we could move him out.
"Arik is the type of tight end we’ve been looking for to stretch the field. Yesterday, we ran a vertical route right up the field and he beat the Mike linebacker for a touchdown. That’s a dagger in the heart for the defense."
It remains to be seen whether McMath will be moved to the outside or stay in his current role in the slot. The team will likely experiment with both in the coming weeks of fall practice before making an ultimate decision but there's no denying his importance to the offense is massive to continued success.
It helps that Brennan and McMath have shared the field for some gametime experience. The pair spent most of the fourth quarter in the Tigers 50-7 blowout of Texas A&M on the field, hooking up on a 58-yard touchdown at the end of the game.
The loss of Chase is monumental but it also opens the door for many other young playmakers that are no doubt chomping at the bit to make an impact with the offense this season. Likely candidates who will be competing for an increased role include senior Jontre Kirklin, sophomore Trey Palmer and freshmen Kayshon Boutte and Koy Moore.
Orgeron was extremely complimentary of the freshmen receivers last week in his press conference.
"(Kayshon) Boutte is doing a good job for us. All those guys are doing a great job," Orgeron said. "I fell like we’re really talented at the wide receiver position. The guy I’m really impressed with is (Koy) Moore. He’s done a great job. From Rummel High School, I think he’s going to have an excellent freshman year."
We very well could see a plethora of guys thrown out there in the first three games in particular to see who sticks. Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Missouri are all winnable games where you can experiment with a group of Boutte, Moore, Palmer and Kirklin.
Chase provided so much more than a go to guy on offense. He would be the player that opposing defenses would devise their schemes around, allowing the players around him more one on one opportunities to succeed.
Without that talent and added element to the offense, it'll make Brennan's job more difficult but there is plenty still to be excited about in these younger weapons. With just under a month until the Sept. 26 kickoff against Mississippi State, the loss of Chase is significant but how significant depends on who can step up in his absence.
