Just hours after the commitment of former Texas A&M safety Jardin Gilbert, LSU lands another big transfer in former Mississippi State wide receiver, Zavion Thomas.

LSU have had their eyes on Thomas since the minute he hopped into the portal. The Woodmere, Louisiana native was a three-star recruit in 2022 and has been pure electricity with the ball in his hands since stepping foot in Starkville.

In 2023, Thomas recorded 503 receiving yards and one touchdown while averaging 12.6 yards per reception. Thomas also averaged 5.6 yards after the catch with an average depth of target (ADOT) of 9.6 yards. For reference, that's just a few yards shy of Brian Thomas Jr. (13.7) and Malik Nabers (12.5) ADOT this past season.

With Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. likely going to the NFL, Brian Kelly and LSU knew they needed to add another veteran wide receiver to play alongside Kyren Lacy, Aaron Anderson, Chris Hilton, Shelton Sampson and the rest of the Tigers receivers in 2024.

Thomas brings two years of experience with him, but he also comes with two more years of eligibility. Brian Kelly said he wants to bring guys in who can play for multiple years, and Thomas should be able to do just that.

While Thomas is certainly an excellent receiver, he also is a very good kick returner. He totaled 365 return yards in 2023 which included a 94 yard kick return touchdown against Texas A&M. LSU has struggled mightily on special teams the past two years, and while they fixed a lot of their problems fielding the ball in 2023, they still had next to no return game.

Aaron Anderson was supposed to be the answer to those problems, but in his first game as a Tiger, he fumbled on his second punt return and was replaced by Gregory Clayton and Kaleb Jackson in the return game. Now, Thomas has a chance to add a spark to the Tigers special teams unit that has been missing a strong return game for two years now.

Thomas's impact will be felt the second he steps on the field for the Tigers. He should be on of Garrett Nussmeier's top targets as well as the Tigers starting kick and punt returner in 2024.

There's a lot to be excited about with this commitment, and I think it's awesome to see Brian Kelly bring so many of these Louisiana boys back home.