by Ryan Rogers
LSU Sports Information
BATON ROUGE — The LSU receiving corps has the potential to be as solid as just about any in the Southeastern Conference, keyed by Jerel Myers, who burst onto the scene as a freshman in 1999 and ranked second in the Southeastern Conference in receiving.
Myers. The 5-11 180-pound receiver is primed to repeat performance of a year ago. When Myers came to Baton Rouge last season the Tigers knew they were getting a solid threat, but couldnt have possibly imagined the contributions the Houston native would make.
He has outstanding tools as a receiver. He runs great routes, has good speed and catches the ball well. Running sharp routes is best attribute. Myers simply knows how to get open. Last year he racked up 1,120 yards receiving on 64 catches, averaging 77.6 yards receiving per game.
Complimenting Myers at the receiver position is Reggie Robinson. The 6-2 194-pound flanker from Shreveport was one of LSUs top recruits in 1998. A member of the Prepstar dream team, he is an extraordinary all-around athlete. He made all-state football and basketball player.
Robinson has displayed glimpses of glory at LSU. His 154 yards receiving and two-touchdown performance against Arkansas led the Tigers to their 35-10 win in the 1999 season finale. He also showed off his 39-inch vertical leap when he grabbed Bootys desperation Hail Mary pass for a touchdown against Georgia putting LSU in a position to win. In his true freshmen season he debuted for the Tigers with 43 yards receiving and a miraculous tip-drill style catch for a touchdown against Georgia in 98.
Last season Robinson battled with a nagging ankle injury which kept him out of six games. So for this spring he has had limited practice time due to hamstring problems. If Robinson becomes healthy, he could be a top-flight receiver in the SEC.
Abram Booty battled a hamstring and back injury and moved to flanker from split end. As a freshmen and sophomore Booty caught 89 passes for 1,329 yards. Last year he managed only 26 receptions for 374 yards. His highlight performance came against Ole Miss when he caught five passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns.
Coming out of Evangel’s pass happy offense Booty established three national receiving records. He is the nations all-time leading receiver with career records in three categories. They include 302 receptions, 5,867 yards, and 83 touchdowns in high school.
Josh Reed should see significant playing time at receiver for LSU. The 5-11 198-pound former running back is arguably the best athlete on LSUs roster. He made the move to receiver halfway through last year including a start at receiver against Houston. As a running back he scored a nifty 27-yard touchdown run against North Texas.
Reed looked impressive in the Tigers first scrimmage and may challenge for a starting position. He is also battling injuries this spring with a broken finger and a head injury suffered in the first scrimmage of the spring. Look for Reed to be a part of the Tigers three and four wide receiver sets next year.
Another former running back converted to receiver is LaVar Johnson. Johnson, 6-1 190, like Reed, is also very athletic. He was a reserve running back behind the likes of Kevin Faulk, Rondell Mealey, Cecil Collins and Kendall Cleveland. With his speed he could become a deep threat in the Tigers offense.
Incoming recruits Drew Hixon, 6-0 185 (Harrison, Ga.), son of receivers coach Stan Hixon, Jack Hunt, 6-0 180 (Ruston, La.), Erin Dammond, 5-11 180 (Bogalusa, La.) and Donriel Louis, 6-1 170 (Edgard, La.) will arrive in the fall. They will be important to adding depth to the corps.
| No. | Name | Cl. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown |
| 3 | Jerel Myers | So. | 5-11 | 180 | Houston, Texas |
| 4 | Reggie Robinson | Jr. | 6-2 | 194 | Shreveport, La. |
| 10 | LaVar Johnson | Jr. | 6-1 | 190 | Galena Park, Texas |
| 18 | Jabari Harvey | Fr. | 5-11 | 185 | Natchitoches, La. |
| 23 | Chad Muller | Fr. | 5-9 | 175 | Metairie, La. |
| 25 | Josh Reed | So. | 5-11 | 198 | Ryane, La. |
| 26 | Jeremy Brown | Fr. | 5-9 | 176 | Meridian, Miss. |
| 27 | Mike Fontenot | Fr. | 5-10 | 173 | Tomball, Texas |
| 37 | Blain Bech | Fr. | 6-1 | 170 | Slidell, La. |
| 39 | Roger Williams | Sr. | 5-8 | 176 | Bay St. Louis, Miss. |
| 83 | Jack Casanova | Fr. | 5-11 | 177 | Crowley, La. |
| 88 | Abram Booty | Sr. | 6-2 | 191 | Shreveport, La. |
| 89 | Ed Dangerfield | Jr. | 6-5 | 212 | Morgan City, La. |