Louisiana’s No. 2 rated receiver commits to LSU’s Class of 2021

The last time Zachary four-star wide receiver Chris Hilton Jr. of Zachary narrowed his list of prospective schools to six schools, there was a prevailing thought of simply staying home and playing for LSU.

Several months later, that’s exactly what he did.

Hilton, regarded as one of the nation’s top two-sport athletes, took to social media Friday morning, releasing a video produced by TigerDetails.com in which he announced his commitment to LSU over Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Notre Dame and Texas A&M.

“In my head, I knew I would end up at LSU,” Hilton told Rivals.com, which rates him as the state’s top-ranked wide out. “But I always wondered what would have happened if I went to another school. Distance was not a factor, but LSU has a home-like environment.”

Hilton, with 4.45 speed in the 40-yard dash and tremendous leaping ability, pushed LSU’s current recruiting class of 14 commitments to No. 7 nationally according to 247Sports. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound is the nation’s eighth-rated wide receiver, second-rated in the state and nation’s No. 65 overall prospect.

Moreover, Hilton gives LSU its third wide receiver ranked in 247Sports’ Top 10 with Deion Smith (No. 7) of Jackson-Provine and JoJo Earle (No. 10) of Aledo, Texas. He’s the nation’s fifth-rated wide receiver by Rivals.com and No. 55 overall prospect.

Hilton will also compete for LSU’s nationally ranked track and field program where he’s already a two-time Class 5A state high jump champion, including a national-best 7-foot clearance in 2019.

As a sophomore, he played a key role in Zachary’s Class 5A state championship team in 2018 with 30 catches for 542 yards and seven touchdowns. He provided the game-winning score, turning a screen play into an 80-yard TD reception in the waning moments in a 27-24 victory over West Monroe for the state championship.

Because of offseason surgery which resulted in missing half of his 2019 junior season, Hilton returned for the start of District 4-5A play and helped Zachary reach the Class 5A state semifinals, falling to eventual state champion Acadiana (21-14). He finished the year with 43 catches for 846 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Hilton has visions of early playing time at LSU which is projected to lose standout junior wide receivers JaMarr Chase and Terrace Marshall to the NFL draft after the 2021 season.

“I see myself making an impact instantly,” Hilton said. “Basically, I wanted to be the best player that I can be, be a playmaker, and I’ll do whatever else I need to do.”