Seven. Seven is the number of times in which wide receiver Malik Nabers has recorded at least 100 yards in a game in 2023. Now, thanks in large part to that big play potential, the junior is rapidly approaching one of the more impressive records in LSU football history, set by Josh Reed over 20 seasons ago.
Wide receiver Malik Nabers getting dangerously close to an all-time LSU football record
You don’t just gain the nickname “WRU” for no reason. When it comes to college football, few have been better at producing elite wide receivers than that of LSU football.
Names like Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, Brandon LaFell and Michael Clayton most frequently come to mind, but that doesn’t even begin to touch the surface.
One of the greatest wide receivers in program history is none other than Josh Reed. In three seasons with the Tigers, Reed recorded 167 receptions for 3,001 yards and 17 touchdowns.
For context, his 3,001-yard total was so good that it set a school record in career receiving yards, and despite being set all the way back in 2001, no one has come close to it.
Until now.
In just three seasons with the LSU football program, few have been as productive as wide receiver Malik Nabers. In his 172 total receptions, he’s put up 2,718 yards and 17 touchdowns.
If the season ended today, he’d finish second all-time in career receiving yards, fourth in receptions and 10th in receiving touchdowns. However, the season isn’t over yet, and the star junior still has at least two more games remaining.
A look into remaining pass defenses
If wide receiver Malik Nabers hopes to set a career record in his remaining time with the purple and gold, it’s most likely to come in receiving yards. With 2,718 yards thus far, he finds himself just 283 yards away.
For most wide receivers, this would sound like a hefty distance, but with what he’s been doing so far in 2023, the odds are very much in his favor.
Through 10 games, the junior is averaging 128.4 yards per game. While he’d need more than his average per game, 283 yards is very possible.
With games against Georgia State and Texas A&M remaining, what does that do for his chances? Well, so far this season, while the Aggies have been solid in pass defense, the Panthers have not.
The teams just so happen to be on opposite sides of the spectrum. Georgia State currently allows 282.4 passing yards per game (125th), while Texas A&M allows just 187.6 (20th).
Although it won’t be easy, if Malik Nabers manages to break the receiving record set by Josh Reed over twenty years ago, there’s no doubt he’ll be in some elite company as one of the best LSU football pass-catchers of all time.
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