Two LSU Players Named to the Freshman All-SEC Team

Freshman wide receiver Malik Nabers and defensive end Maason Smith were named to the SEC Freshman Team, the conference announced on Thursday. The pair joined linebacker Damone Clark, offensive lineman Ed Ingram and kicker Cade York in recognition from the conference for their performance in 2021.

Smith was in and out of the lineup but did suit up in eight games, combining for 19 tackles, four sacks and five tackles for a loss while splitting time at defensive tackle and defensive end. One of the rising stars in the conference, Smith is one of the players who is likely to get back healthy for the Texas Bowl for one last outing in his freshman season.

He was in and out of the lineup, missing the final four games of the regular season but showed off his versatility to move not only inside but outside as a defensive end during his freshman season. There's little doubt Smith will become one of the premier defensive linemen in the country when healthy for Brian Kelly and this new staff.

“If you look at a prototypical left defensive end in the NFL, (Smith’s) a left defensive end,” coach Ed Orgeron said. “That’s where most of the runs go to, and you want a big defensive end to play over the tight end. And he’s very athletic to play in space. I think he has a chance to be a dominant player there.”

Once Kayshon Boutte went down, Nabers' role really started to expand as he became one of the go to options in the LSU offense. The freshman out of Youngsville, Louisiana was a force for LSU down the stretch of the 2021 season, hauling in 26 catches for 400 yards and three touchdowns.

His true breakout game came against UL-Monroe towards the tail end of the season, where he caught four passes for 143 yards and a touchdown.

"Malik's a stud. He's done a good job of being aggressive and going up and attacking the ball," quarterback Max Johnson said after the ULM game. "I actually missed him (on) a deep one, when we were pinned inside our 1. I could've hit him on that, but he's been a big playmaker for us."