Family Played Most Important Role in Chris Hilton Deciding to Commit to LSU Football
Family is everything to newest LSU receiver commit Chris Hilton Jr. It’s why, at the end of the day, he chose to stay so close to home and commit to LSU over the weekend.
He wants his parents to be able to catch every single one of his games, just as they have while he's been the star receiver at Zachary High School the last three years. Family is also what Hilton feels on every call, every text from the LSU coaching staff.
The initial plan was for Hilton to spend this summer visiting various campuses and learning more about the schools that were interested in him. Hilton always took the recruiting process seriously, but he wanted to be committed before his senior season so he could focus on finishing his career at Zachary High School off the right way.
However, like with so many other high school prospects in the 2021 class, the coronavirus pandemic threw a monkey wrench in the those plans.
"I think it really just came down to a point where he knew where he felt most comfortable," Chris Hilton Sr. said. "They all were excellent choices but he knew where he felt most comfortable was at LSU. I told him to make sure that the place he chooses feels like home to him and that's what LSU was to Chris."
Hilton knew about a month ago that LSU was the school for him. He texted LSU receivers coach Mickey Joseph, asking Joseph how the team would best utilize his speed and talent on the field.
The two immediately got on a zoom call where Joseph explained to Hilton how he and the Tigers coaching staff views Hilton as a playmaker that can play both in the slot and on the outside because of his electric speed.
"I spent a lot of late nights thinking about it, prayed about it and it just came out to be LSU," Hilton said.
The rising senior at Zachary is a flashy playmaker on the field, making opposing defenses look silly as they try to wrap him up.
Off the field, Hilton is a quiet young man who likes to keep to himself. It's why for most of his recruitment, he stayed relatively reserved and didn't want to give away too many hints about where he was seriously considering attending.
It's also why he wanted to make possibly the biggest decision of his life, a surprise, committing to the Tigers in the early morning hours of July 3. Hilton could’ve waited for the fireworks and flashiness that comes with the Fourth of July but that’s just not his style.
He also wanted to keep it away from the LSU coaching staff as much as possible in an attempt to surprise them as well.
"As soon as I announced, coach Mickey texted me congratulations and that he couldn't wait for me to get up there," Hilton said.
So what's the next step for Hilton now that he's 100% committed to the LSU program? The 2021 class has done a nice job of hitting the recruiting trail themselves, reaching out to various recruits about joining what's becoming an elite class.
Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has led the charge in those efforts, even reaching out to Hilton a few times while he was still uncommitted.
"He seems like a pretty cool and chill dude," Hilton said. "He talks to me basically about the future and all the touchdowns he's going to throw to me. That's the plan, to try and help recruit other players to the team but I also want to focus on myself and on my school work. Hopefully we have a season."
While Hilton will be striving for good grades in the classroom, he's also set some lofty goals for himself on the football field. He's hoping the offseason work he's put in on perfecting his route running will show as a senior and help him lead the Broncos to another state title and earn Gatorade Player of the Year in Louisiana.
Chris Sr. said he knows that his son is walking into a great situation at LSU, under the tutelage of coach Ed Orgeron because of the time Orgeron and the staff took to get to know not only his son but the entire Hilton family as well.
"We had several conversations with Coach O and the first thing out of his mouth everytime was asking how the family is doing," Chris Sr. said. "He never not mentions family and Mickey is the same way. Even with this pandemic they were always just asking us how we were doing. I hate to use the cliche phrase but they're just genuinely down to earth people."
It all comes back to family for Chris, who looks forward to one thing above all else when he's finally able to suit up in purple and gold.
"Seeing my parents in the stands, having them come watch me play because it's right around the corner is probably the moment I'm looking forward to most," Hilton said.
