LSU Football: 3 reasons Tigers will win SEC title without Ja’Marr Chase

3. Racey McMath’s potential

The “next man up” is often times a mantra used by coaches as a slogan to inspire confidence in their players. It’s also often used as a flashy catchphrase by sports media to catch the interest of fans and hype up the newer players. Only this time, this talent may really be the “next man up”.

Racey McMath is now a potential No. 1 receiver option on this team. A 6-foot-3 and 210-pound receiver, McMath was a three-star receiver coming out of high school and the 22nd-best prospect in the state of Louisiana at Edna Karr High School.

His name came into the attention of NFL media when the Senior Bowl dropped their Senior Bowl 250 list. The game’s director, Jim Nagy, quickly pointed out what Ja’Marr Chase’s decision meant for the rest of the team.

I reached out to my friend Blake Ruffino, a trusted LSU analyst and insider (who broke that Chase would be opting out this past Friday) and host of AYSSports on Landry Football, to inquire about McMath. He told me that he’s a “big, physical wide receiver that has good speed.”

Ruffino compared McMath to a “faster Anquan Boldin.”

McMath has been working with the second team all of last season and played limited snaps, making 17 catches for 285 yards and three touchdowns last season. He also spent a good bit of time on special teams, especially punt coverage.