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By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
CHRIS HILTON JR
(WR, Red shirt senior)
6 GAMES
144 SNAPS
243 RECEIVING YARDS
20 TARGETS
9 CATCHES
3 TDs
Finishing his final 2 games with 3 eye-popping touchdown grabs out of 6 total catches, including multiple downfield receptions over 40 yards, LSU receiver Chris Hilton Jr ended his injury-ravaged red shirt junior year with a flurry of big play production & potential.
However, heading into 2025 with expectations high once again for the fully healthy Hilton, we've seen the Zachary High legend finish both his 2021 freshman and 2023 red shirt sophomore years with other statement performances vs Kansas State (a last second 81 yard touchdown bomb showcasing his speed & deep ball abilities) and Wisconsin (operating alongside Garrett Nussmeier with beautifully timed chemistry and high octane aerial playmaking).
But due to repeated serious injuries & a few times under the knife, those late season bowl game cameos remained tantalizing previews and nothing more.
We haven't seen Hilton's on field prowess for the vast majority of his LSU career, appearing in just 480 total snaps and missing 28 games throughout 4 seasons wearing purple and gold (for comparison, receivers Malik Nabers & Kyren Lacy eclipsed 700 snaps in a single season as starters), while Hilton only produced 658 total yards from 31 catches and 6 TDs....a galaxy shy of where many, including this author and most of all, Hilton himself, pictured his LSU career trajectory.
Fighting back against years of injury obstacles, headlined by frustrating & ill-timed injuries (hurting his ankle most recently right near the peak of a dominant 2024 Fall Camp) followed by the usual media speculation regarding his availability, so much has gone wrong for the 2021 class prospect who ranked higher than 1st round / LSU record-holding duo Malik Nabers & Brian Thomas Jr as a high schooler.
And yet there is still so much that can go right for Cortez Hankton's downfield speedster, still possessing two more years of eligibility & all the right athletic tools required to become a week in, week out starter:
Illustrating his big play cache, 9 of Hilton's 31 career LSU receptions topped 40+ yards (4 arriving in 2024 alone), beating defensive backs off the line with his delirious track star pace, before winning the ball in the air, over the shoulder, or on the run when given the chance. Despite his injuries swallowing up 3/4 of his playing time as a Tiger, Chris's season long receptions frequently ranked among LSU's longest in 2021, 2022 and 2024...
Beyond the football field, Chris Jr has found love in women's basketball star & hip hop artist Flaujae, becoming the male half of LSU's latest & greatest student athlete power couple.
After years on & off the field, struggling for health, fighting for confidence and catches, Chris Hilton's recent fortunes & future promise has manifested itself through body language that oozes swagger & the cool, calm, calculating demeanor of an assassin.
For the first time at LSU, everything is aligning for 2025 to be the Year of The Hilton. Factoring in his chemistry with Garrett Nussmeier, it isn't wild or hyperbolic to suggest the 5th year Tiger will finally put it all together if fully healthy for an entire campaign;
Chris's football talents & character were never in question, but his consistent absences due to serious injuries began ruining what was and still is a very exciting future.
If he can stay healthy, there will be no limits to the big play fireworks he can supply, especially surrounded by the best receiving corps in the SEC: featuring elite receiving studs like (LSU's 2024 leading receiver) Aaron Anderson, fellow burner Zavion Thomas, or powerhouse transfer arrivals Nic Anderson & Barrion Brown, returning young threat Kyle Parker (who took over Hilton's starting spot for the first few games of 2024 before his own season ending injury), and freshman star TaRon Francis....not to mention towering tight ends Trey'Dez Green or transfer titan Donovan Green.
With these pass catching targets & significant big play threats soaking up so much of the defensive attention underneath, in the slot, or over the intermediary sections of the field, Nussmeier's favorite downtown target (Hilton) won't need to start in order to be a game changer.
Limiting Hilton's snaps, hits, and chances for injury, while rotating his constant downfield threat in and out with an attention to detail concerning matchups......it may just be the best of both worlds for LSU's dynamic home run artist & the entire Tigers' passing game.
Keeping Hilton fit and firing as Offensive Coordinator Joe Sloan and Passing Game Coordinator / WRs Coach Cortez Hankton mix it up and keep the defense guessing with their slew of skill position dynamos....
....LSU's 2025 offense could be one of the nation's best, and Hilton's big play prowess will be a key part of their passing game.....unlocking & unleashing both his teammates as well as the space downfield for his fiery pace to exploit.
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
©️ 2025 Uninterrupted Writings Inc
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