GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU coach Brian Kelly did not sound very upbeat about deep threat wide receiver Chris Hilton Jr. playing for the first time this season Saturday in Tiger Stadium. No. 13 LSU (4-1, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) hosts No. 9 Ole Miss (5-1, 1-1 SEC) at 6:30 p.m. on ABC.
Hilton, a junior from Zachary, has missed all five of the Tigers’ games with an ankle injury suffered in August practices. He caught only 13 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns last season, but he was playing behind future first round draft choices and deep threats Malik Nabers (89 catches, 1,569 yards, 14 TDs) and Brian Thomas (68-1,177, 17 TDs). Nabers was the sixth pick to the New York Giants, while Thomas went as the 23rd selection to Jacksonville.
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With those two gone, Hilton has been particularly missed this season as he is now the fastest receiver on the roster and best deep threat. Most of quarterback Garrett Nussmeier’s successful start to this season has been on short and intermediate passes. Kelly had said prior to LSU’s last game on Sept. 28 against South Alabama that Hilton may play, but he did not and did not dress out.
Before LSU’s game against UCLA on Sept. 21, Kelly said on his radio show on Sept. 19 that Hilton would play.
“We’re going to get him on the field, but this is going to be like getting a toe in the water,” Kelly said. But that never happened.
And now, it appears as if Hilton is questionable at best for Ole Miss.
“It has been a complicated injury,” Kelly said on the SEC teleconference on Wednesday morning. “Let’s get the record straight, just so everybody knows. Chris has done everything to get back as quickly as possible. This has been an injury that we’ve done scans. We’ve done MRIs, and the healing has just been slow. He’s put in the time. And he has the want-to to want to be out there.”
But Kelly seemed to be discussing Hilton in terms of games after Ole Miss.
“If he’s able to be out there, he would be out there,” Kelly said. “This has just been one of those unusual injuries that has taken so much longer to heal than normal. But we’re going to get him back out there, and when he does, I’m certain that he’s going to be a welcome addition to our offense.”
Prior to Wednesday when asked about Hilton, Kelly said, “We’re bringing him back from a long layoff, so so we’ll see what he looks like when he gets out there on Saturday (in Ole Miss pregame).”
Hilton, who was the No. 4 overall prospect in the state in 2021 out of Zachary High, was also injured during his freshman season in 2021 and played in just four games. He caught two passes with an 81-yard touchdown on the last play of the 42-20 loss to Kansas State in the Texas Bowl. In 2022, he also played in only four games amid injury issues and had seven catches for 109 yards.
“This is the first year he’s been a missing piece, if you will,” Kelly said.
In addition to Hilton, LSU has three starters dealing with injuries – tailback Caden Durham (dislocated toes), cornerback Zy Alexander (concussion) and wide receiver CJ Daniels (knee). Durham and Daniels were both hurt against South Alabama. Alexander was injured against UCLA two games ago and did not play against South Alabama.
Asked if Durham, Alexander and Daniels were expected to practice this week, Kelly said, “Yes.”
Kelly has been less informative and a little more coy about injuries this week than in previous weeks as this is the game of the year so far.
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