LSU Freshman WR Could Force Lane Kiffin to Shake Up Depth Chart

The LSU Tigers made headlines this offseason for the sweeping changes they made on offense, particularly at the wide receiver position.

With Lane Kiffin's arrival, the Tigers brought in a whopping nine receivers out of the portal, giving new starting quarterback Sam Leavitt multiple options to choose from in the passing game.

To begin the season, it remained unclear which of these new faces would emerge as go-to targets. Five games in, the pecking order has started to become clearer, though there still remains questions about who is best fit for more snaps as the team's unofficial No. 3 wide receiver.

But in last week's win over McNeese, true freshman receiver Corey Barber Jr. showed the coaching staff he's deserving of more playing time moving forward, which could push one veteran down the depth chart.

LSU WR Corey Barber Jr's Emergence Could Spell Trouble for Jayce Brown

McNeese Cowboys safety Jermaine Hargraves (0) tackles LSU Tigers wide receiver Jayce Brown (1) during the second half at Tiger Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Barber Jr. was the highest-graded true freshman (84.0) in college football during Week 5's slate of games.

A former Ole Miss commit, Barber Jr. finished with seven catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns.

It's a performance like this that could motivate Lane Kiffin and the LSU coaching staff to potentially give Barber more playing time while moving further away from Kansas State transfer receiver Jayce Brown.

Sure, Barber's breakout came against a lower-tier opponent in McNeese but the writing has been on the wall for Brown. He has not lived up to expecations during his first year with LSU, and fans have grown a bit frustrated. That said, these concerns have been limited due to the impact that Jackson Harris and Winston Watkins Jr. have had.

Kansas State Wildcats wide receiver Jayce Brown (1) runs into the end zone for a touchdown during the first half against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Barber could be an added spark for LSU's offense the rest of the way until Brown proves that he's deserving of more playing time. It says a lot that Barber (eight catches, 98 yards, 2 TDs) already has better statistical production than Brown (eight catches, 89 yards) so far this season.

In Brown's defense, he could very well burst onto the scene over the next few games and make this conversation pointless. But until then, Kiffin and the coaching staff have to seriously consider giving up some of his snaps to Barber Jr. moving forward.

Both players will have a chance to make a statement in Saturday night's matchup against Kentucky.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google