ATLANTA — The first time Barion Brown returned a kickoff for a touchdown, Kentucky defensive back Jordan Lovett gave him a block. Three years later, the thought of Brown sprinting past him and everyone else on the field hasn’t left his mind.
“He’s a blur, dude,” Lovett said. “He’s one place, then he’s not there. He sees the hole, it’s over. That’s one person I can say, if he gets any open space, you ain’t catching him.”
Brown transferred to LSU after three seasons at Kentucky, and he could become one of the Tigers’ top wide receivers along with redshirt senior Chris Hilton, redshirt junior Aaron Anderson, Oklahoma transfer Nic Anderson and senior Zavion Thomas.
Lovett practiced against Brown for the past three years. He often had to cover him, and he offered a description of Brown’s skill set.
“Speed. Speed. Speed. Speed. And he can stop on a dime,” Lovett said, snapping, “like that.”
The word speed came up regularly at SEC media days this week in reference to LSU’s wide receivers. LSU linebacker Whit Weeks said four have run faster than 23 mph, and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier thinks all of them run the 40-yard dash in at least 4.4 seconds.
“In that unit,” Nussmeier said, “it’s all speed.”
LSU was intentional about adding speed to the position. When Chris Hilton got hurt last season, it didn’t have someone else who was ready to contribute and could stretch the field vertically. Offensive coordinator Joe Sloan joked at LSU’s coaches clinic that he did what any good coach would do next: recruit another one.
Brown, a former top 100 recruit, recorded 50 catches for 628 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman while playing with quarterback Will Levis. His production declined, but the dip coincided with a drop in the quality of Kentucky’s quarterback play. Brown recorded a combined 72 catches for 900 yards and seven touchdowns over the past two years. Kentucky also tried to get him the ball out of the backfield.
LSU wide receiver Barion Brown (6) dances to music between drills during a spring practice on Saturday, March 22, 2025 at the Charles McClendon Practice Facility in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Kentucky senior tight end Josh Kattus has seen Brown’s career up close. They signed with Kentucky in the 2022 class, and they both had key roles the past three seasons. He watched Brown’s five kickoff returns for touchdowns, an SEC record. With Brown’s speed, Kattus was asked, what’s it like when he finds open space?
“You kind of already know what’s going to happen,” Kattus said. “You just start pointing at the end zone and being like, ‘That’s where he’s going.’ No one can catch that guy.”
Brown might not even be the fastest player at the position. Hilton claimed he owns the title with a top speed recorded at 23.7 mph, and redshirt freshman Jelani Watkins’ personal best in the 100-meter is 10.01 seconds, the sixth-best time in LSU track history.
Hilton thought he would finally break out last season after a career filled with injuries, only to miss the first seven games with an ankle injury. Unable to run routes for a long time, he struggled when he returned. At one point, Hilton got chewed out by coach Brian Kelly for continually jumping instead of running through the catch.
Nussmeier thought Hilton showed “who he really is as a player” once he regained his confidence. Hilton finished the season with six catches for 198 yards and three touchdowns in the last two games.
“I think if you watch the last three games of the season, you can see how much of a different team we were and would have been if we would’ve had a healthy Chris Hilton,” Nussmeier said. “His ability to take the top off, his ability to run a backside dig and go 60 yards to the house because of his speed, is unbelievable.”
Nussmeier talked up the versatility around him. Brown and Hilton have top-end speed. Aaron Anderson came back after a breakout year, and Nic Anderson offers a big body on the outside. Thomas, tight end Bauer Sharp and tight end Trey’Dez Green will all get touches. LSU also has running backs who could be part of the passing game.
“We have so many different guys who can line up in so many different places and do so many special things with the ball in their hand,” Nussmeier said. “It’s a good feeling as a quarterback, and I guess you could say it makes my job a little easier. My responsibility is just to give them opportunities to make plays.”