Brian Thomas Jr. spent three seasons at LSU, but his final year turned him from a talented Louisiana receiver into one of the most dangerous scoring threats in college football.

Thomas played for LSU from 2021 through 2023 and finished his career with 127 receptions for 1,897 yards and 24 touchdowns in 38 games. His 24 touchdown receptions tied Justin Jefferson for third in LSU history when Thomas left Baton Rouge, trailing only Dwayne Bowe with 26 and Brandon LaFell with 25. 

Most of that production came during a remarkable junior season. In 2023, Thomas caught 68 passes for 1,177 yards and led the nation with 17 touchdown receptions. He earned AP Third Team All America honors, was a Second Team All SEC selection by both the Associated Press and the SEC coaches, and became a major part of the offense that helped Jayden Daniels win the Heisman Trophy. 

That season is the biggest reason Brian Thomas Jr. comes in at No. 92 on LSU Football Report’s list of the Top 100 LSU Tigers of all time.

A Two Sport Star at Walker

Thomas grew up in Walker, Louisiana, and became one of the state’s most gifted two sport athletes. Basketball was his only high school sport as a freshman, but he returned to football as a sophomore and immediately showed why his future could be on the field.

His first high school football game was extraordinary. Thomas caught four passes for 278 yards and three touchdowns, with scoring receptions of 89, 63 and 75 yards. As a junior, he caught 75 passes for 1,272 yards and 17 touchdowns. During his senior season in 2020, he added 30 catches for 507 yards and seven touchdowns while also scoring twice on the ground. 

Thomas was a four star recruit and was selected for the 2021 Adidas All American Bowl. LSU’s media guide listed him as the No. 86 overall prospect nationally, the No. 13 wide receiver and the No. 4 player in Louisiana. 

His basketball résumé was impressive as well. Thomas helped Walker finish 33 and 4 and win the 2018 Louisiana Class 5A state championship, the first boys basketball title in school history. He scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the championship game and was named its Most Outstanding Player. He later earned Second Team Class 5A All State honors as a junior. 

Thomas had legitimate options in more than one sport, but football ultimately won. The hometown opportunity mattered too.

He chose LSU.

Contributing Immediately as a Freshman

Thomas joined LSU in 2021 during Ed Orgeron’s final season and quickly became part of the receiving rotation.

He appeared in 12 games and started nine as a true freshman, finishing with 28 receptions for 359 yards and two touchdowns. His first college reception came against UCLA in the season opener, and his first touchdown came later that year against Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He also scored against Louisiana Monroe. 

The numbers were not huge, but Thomas was playing immediately in the SEC and getting valuable experience. At 6 foot 5 and nearly 200 pounds as a freshman, he already possessed the size that made him stand out. The next step was turning that physical ability into consistent production.

That development continued when LSU changed coaching staffs.

Growing Under Brian Kelly

Brian Kelly took over before the 2022 season, and Thomas remained an important part of LSU’s receiving corps.

He appeared in 13 games and caught 31 passes for 361 yards and five touchdowns. Through his first two LSU seasons, Thomas had accumulated 59 receptions for 720 yards and seven scores. 

His sophomore season ended on a high note in the Citrus Bowl against Purdue. Garrett Nussmeier found Thomas for a 10 yard touchdown as LSU rolled to a 63 to 7 victory and finished Kelly’s first season with 10 wins. 

Thomas had established himself as a reliable receiver, but he was still waiting for the season that would define his LSU career.

It came in 2023.

The Breakout Begins

Thomas opened his junior season by showing that his role in LSU’s offense had changed dramatically.

Against Florida State, he caught seven passes for 142 yards and a touchdown. The following week against Grambling, Thomas added six catches for 78 yards and two scores. 

Then came Arkansas.

LSU trailed 13 to 3 late in the second quarter when Daniels found Thomas for a 49 yard touchdown with 30 seconds left before halftime. On LSU’s first possession of the third quarter, they connected again for another 49 yard score.

Thomas finished the 34 to 31 victory with five receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns. Malik Nabers added eight catches for 130 yards and two scores. They became only the second pair of LSU receivers to each record at least 130 receiving yards in the same game, joining Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase against Texas in 2019. 

Thomas was no longer simply another weapon in the offense. He was becoming one of the most dangerous receivers in the country.

Three Touchdowns at Ole Miss

Thomas followed the Arkansas performance with the first three touchdown game of his LSU career.

Against Ole Miss, he caught eight passes for 124 yards and three touchdowns. His scores covered 20, 11 and 34 yards as LSU and Ole Miss traded points throughout a 55 to 49 Rebels victory. 

The loss was frustrating for LSU, but Thomas’ performance confirmed the transformation taking place.

He had the size to win contested catches, but his speed made him much more than a possession receiver. Defensive backs had to respect his ability to run by them, and his long stride made him especially dangerous on vertical routes.

That combination became even more obvious a few weeks later.

An 86 Yard Strike Against Army

Thomas produced one of the longest touchdowns in LSU history against Army.

Daniels escaped pressure during the first quarter, extended the play and found Thomas downfield for an 86 yard touchdown. At the time, it was the third longest pass play in LSU history. 

Thomas finished the night with three catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns as LSU won 62 to 0. Nabers added 121 yards and two scores of his own. 

It was the perfect example of what Thomas brought to the offense. He did not need 12 catches to take over a game. One deep ball could change everything.

The Perfect Partner for Malik Nabers

Thomas’ breakout came while Nabers was producing one of the greatest receiving seasons in LSU history.

That could have limited Thomas’ opportunities. Instead, it made LSU’s offense even more difficult to defend.

Nabers caught 89 passes for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2023. Thomas finished with 68 receptions for 1,177 yards and 17 scores. Together, they combined for 157 catches, 2,746 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns. LSU called them the most productive wide receiver tandem in college football that season. 

Thomas and Nabers also became the third LSU receiving pair to each surpass 1,000 yards in the same season. They joined Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. in 2013 and Chase and Jefferson in 2019. 

Defenses faced a difficult choice. Devote extra attention to Nabers and Thomas could beat single coverage deep. Shade help toward Thomas and Nabers could attack almost every other area of the field.

Daniels was good enough to find whichever option the defense gave him.

A Career High Against Florida

One of Thomas’ best games came against Florida in Tiger Stadium.

He caught six passes for a career high 150 yards and two touchdowns as LSU won 52 to 35. Nabers added 132 receiving yards while Daniels produced one of the most remarkable quarterback performances in college football history. 

Thomas’ 150 yards remained his LSU career high. By that point in the season, his ability to score touchdowns had become one of the defining features of the nation’s highest powered offenses.

He was no longer just putting together a good junior year.

He was putting together one of the best touchdown receiving seasons LSU had ever seen.

Delivering Against Texas A&M

Thomas made another important play in the regular season finale against Texas A&M.

LSU trailed 24 to 21 early in the fourth quarter when Greg Penn III intercepted Aggies quarterback Jaylen Henderson. Daniels quickly took advantage of the turnover, finding Thomas in the back of the north end zone.

Thomas went over a defender for a 23 yard touchdown that gave LSU a 28 to 24 lead. The Tigers eventually pulled away for a 42 to 30 victory. 

It was Thomas’ 15th touchdown reception of the season.

He still had one game left.

Finishing His LSU Career With Two More Touchdowns

Daniels opted out of the ReliaQuest Bowl after winning the Heisman Trophy, which gave Nussmeier his first start as LSU’s quarterback.

Thomas chose to play.

Against Wisconsin, he caught eight passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns as LSU rallied from a 14 point deficit to win 35 to 31. His first score was a 38 yard reception from Nussmeier in the third quarter. 

Those two touchdowns pushed Thomas’ season total to 17 and his LSU career total to 24.

His final college game completed a remarkable transformation. Thomas had entered the 2023 season with seven career receiving touchdowns. He left it with 24.

One of LSU’s Best Touchdown Seasons

Thomas finished 2023 with 68 receptions for 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns while averaging 17.3 yards per catch. He caught a touchdown in 10 different games and led all FBS players in touchdown receptions. 

The 17 touchdowns rank behind only Chase’s 20 and Jefferson’s 18 among LSU single season receiving totals from that era. Thomas also became one of 10 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award. 

The Associated Press selected Thomas as a Third Team All American. Both the AP and SEC coaches named him Second Team All SEC. 

Those honors were deserved, but his greatest value to LSU was the pressure he put on defenses. Thomas could score from almost anywhere on the field, and that ability helped open space for Nabers, Daniels and the rest of the offense.

Brian Thomas Jr. by the Numbers

Thomas’ LSU career shows a clear progression.

As a freshman in 2021, he recorded 28 receptions for 359 yards and two touchdowns. His sophomore season produced 31 catches for 361 yards and five touchdowns. Then he exploded for 68 receptions, 1,177 yards and 17 scores as a junior. 

His final career totals were 127 receptions, 1,897 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns in 38 games. He averaged 14.9 yards per reception during his LSU career. 

When Thomas left LSU, his 24 career touchdown receptions tied Jefferson for third in program history. Only Bowe with 26 and LaFell with 25 had more. 

Those totals become more impressive when considering that 17 of his 24 touchdowns came during his final season.

From LSU to the NFL

Thomas declared for the NFL Draft after his junior season, and the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him with the No. 23 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He immediately became one of the league’s most productive young receivers, catching 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie. All three totals set Jacksonville rookie records, and he earned a Pro Bowl selection. Thomas became only the fourth rookie since the AFL and NFL merger to record at least 1,200 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns, joining Randy Moss, Odell Beckham Jr. and Ja’Marr Chase. 

His second NFL season was quieter. Thomas appeared in 14 regular season games in 2025 and caught 48 passes for 707 yards and two touchdowns. Through his first two NFL regular seasons, he totaled 135 receptions for 1,989 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns. 

Why Brian Thomas Jr. Is No. 92

Thomas presents an interesting case when ranking the greatest players in LSU history because his résumé is heavily concentrated in one extraordinary season.

His first two years were productive but not historically significant. He entered 2023 with 59 career receptions, 720 yards and seven touchdowns.

Then everything changed.

Thomas became the nation’s leader in touchdown receptions. He surpassed 1,100 receiving yards, earned All America recognition and formed an elite receiving tandem with Nabers. He became one of Daniels’ most important weapons during a Heisman Trophy season and produced touchdowns against Florida State, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Army, Florida, Texas A&M and Wisconsin.

His 24 career touchdown catches are the strongest statistical argument for his place on this list. Only two LSU receivers had more when his college career ended, and Thomas reached that total in just three seasons.

There is also something important about his development. Thomas arrived at LSU as a gifted Louisiana athlete whose physical tools were obvious. By his junior season, he had turned those tools into production that made him a first round NFL Draft pick.

NFL success does not determine an LSU ranking, and it should not overshadow what a player did in Baton Rouge. In Thomas’ case, however, his immediate success in Jacksonville confirmed what became obvious during 2023.

LSU had developed an elite receiver.

Brian Thomas Jr.’s LSU career may have been relatively short, but his final season was unforgettable. Seventeen touchdown catches, 1,177 receiving yards, All America honors and a major role in one of the most explosive offenses in school history are enough to earn him the No. 92 spot among the Top 100 LSU Tigers of all time.

Sources

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