Aaron Anderson takes over as LSU’s punt, kick returner

No. 5 LSU is set to take on No. 8 Florida State on Sunday to open the 2023 season, and head coach Brian Kelly kicked off the week with some notable news.

The Tigers have a new starter on both kick and punt returns.

Aaron Anderson, a Louisiana native who transferred into LSU after one season at Alabama, has won both jobs. And it could turn into one of the biggest storylines of the season.

Simply put, Anderson is a home run threat who has the potential to score every time he touches the football.

“He’s pretty dynamic,” Kelly said. “It’s just a different look back there.”

Anderson one of Louisiana’s best high school special teams stars over the past decade

For those that followed New Orleans high school football from 2018-2022, Aaron Anderson was a household name.

He was a four-year starter for Edna Karr, and he accounted for more than 6,000 all-purpose yards between time spent on special teams and wide receiver.

As for his role in the return game, Anderson had no peers. By the time he left the Edna Karr campus, Anderson had totaled more than 20 career special teams touchdowns.

“One of the very few, and rare, freshmen to ever make an impact at Edna Karr. That’s not typical,” said On3 National Recruiting Analyst Sam Spiegelman, who saw Anderson in person every year of his high school career. “He’s the best player I’ve seen come from Edna Karr, which a large part of that is what he did on special teams.”

It’s high praise for the Edna Karr, but the production across his high school career backs it up.

“He had some turnovers in the return game when he was younger, but by the time he gradated from Edna Karr, he had erased all of that,” Spiegelman said. “He had one of the biggest improvements we saw when it came to a prospect’s hands developing across high school. The Karr offense was designed to get him in space, and that transfers over to the special teams realm.

“And he did it in big moments, whether at home or on the road or in the Superdome. He’s experienced in very big games.”

LSU getting more than just a “return specialist”

Anderson left high school as the No. 36 overall prospect in the 2022 class, and not just for his head-turning stat lines on special teams.

He was ranked as the No. 4 wide receiver prospect in America, a final ranking that came after a senior season when Anderson caught 74 passes for 926 yards and 14 touchdowns.

“Anderson is one of the more dangerous open-field threats in the 2022 cycle,” said On3 National Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power following Anderson’s senior season. “He’s a compact receiver and pairs the initial burst with high-end straight-line speed.”

During fall camp, LSU head coach Brian Kelly circled Anderson’s speed, backed up by plenty of sub-11 second 100-meter dash times in high school, and elusiveness as two reasons the Tigers can capitalize on the speedy wideout in a variety of ways.

“There is going to be a lot more to see from him as we continue to build the offense,” Kelly said this month. “You will see him involved in touching the ball in other areas (beyond slot receiver), as well … from the backfield and in the special teams game.

“He’s got speed, explosiveness. He’s what we thought he would be. Our strength coaches really liked his work ethic. He’s very strong in the weight room. I think we’ve just scratched the surface of what we can do with him.”

Does Anderson turn the 2022 special teams woes into a strength?

If there’s an under the radar pick for one of LSU’s MVP’s this season, Anderson might be it.

He’s set to see time on offense in a variety of ways, but the boost he brings to the return units on special teams is where his most important touches might come.

In 2022, LSU dropped multiple punts in the loss to Florida State, which led to the staff replacing Malik Nabers with Jack Bech. Bech, who has since transferred to TCU, saw time as a punt and kick returner, but turnovers continued. From there, the Tigers rode walk-on receiver Gregory Clayton, who flashed consistent hands, but averaged just 4.6 yards per punt return.

With the arrival of Anderson, a proven commodity at the position, Kelly’s confidence meter continues to rise as he sees more and more from his newest starter in the return game.

“I feel a whole lot better than I did last year at this time,” Kelly said. “I don’t want to get out too far, but I believe it’s going to be a positive weapon for us. I hope that comes to fruition.

“I like what I see back there. Aaron is pretty fluid. It comes natural to him. He is really natural with the football … We think special teams should and can be a positive for us and influence games.”

The post Aaron Anderson takes over as LSU’s punt, kick returner appeared first on On3.