Ranking the Top 25 LSU Football Players of All Time

LSU has been playing football since 1893.

It has won 4 national championships, 12 SEC championships and has played in 55 bowl games.

Three Tigers have won the Heisman Trophy. Dozens more were named All-Americans and 11 former players are in the College Football Hall of Fame.

That’s a whole lot of really good players – offensive players, defensive players, specialists – some of whom played back when the forward pass was merely an afterthought, some in these recent pass-happy days and many in between those contrasting eras.

Selecting the best LSU players of all time requires several considerations:

• What they accomplished individually and how that contributed to team success;
• What conference and national honors they earned, demonstrating how their performances stacked up regionally and nationally;
• How long they played and how their careers compared to those of Tigers who preceded them and (when applicable) have stood the test of time.

Many arrived at LSU as highly-regarded college prospects and many went on to significant professional careers. But this ranking is based strictly on what they accomplished as a Tiger.

There was a time when quarterbacks and wide receivers would have been represented sparsely on this list, and yet more receivers made the cut than offensive and defensive linemen combined, and 2 of the 4 quarterbacks selected are the school’s most recent Heisman winners.

Freshman ineligibility, early entry into the NFL Draft, redshirting and the arrival of the transfer portal all affected how long their LSU career lasted.

With all that in mind, here is Saturday Down South’s ranking of the Top 25 LSU football players of all time:

Top 25 LSU Football Players of All Time

25. Andrew Whitworth (2002-05), OL

If the greatest ability is availability, Whitworth was one of the most able Tigers of all. He was an ironman on the offensive line, setting LSU records by playing in and starting 52 games. He never missed a game or a practice due to injury in his career; the only practice he ever missed was to attend graduation in December 2005. His more than 3,500 snaps played are a school record and he led Nick Saban’s 2003 national championship team with 1,008 snaps.

24. Josh Reed (1999-2001), WR

Five players made this list primarily because of their accomplishments as wide receivers and Reed left school as the Tigers’ most productive receiver to that point. He was the SEC’s first 3,000-yard receiver (3,001 yards), and more than 2 decades later, he remains No. 2 in receiving yards in LSU history, giving up the No. 1 spot to Malik Nabers (3,003) in 2023. In 2001 he surpassed all previous pass-receiving seasons in LSU history, catching a since-broken school-record 94 passes and leading the country with 1,740 receiving yards and 145 receiving yards per game.

23. Tyrann Mathieu (2010-11), CB/Returner

Had he played 3 or 4 seasons, Mathieu would have been much higher on this list, but in just 2 seasons he still had a huge impact. He evolved into one of the team’s best defensive players during the course of his freshman season and as a sophomore he was the most dynamic player – as a defensive back and punt returner – on one of the best teams in school history. He won the Bednarik Award (as the nation’s top defender) and was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2011.

22. Warren Capone (1971-73), LB

Capone was one of the top linebackers in LSU history, starting for 3 seasons and playing on bowl teams (Sun, Bluebonnet and Orange) in those seasons. He was a first-team All-SEC selection and a first-team All-American in each of his final 2 seasons on his way to earning a spot in the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame. He led 2 of the best defenses in school history. The 1972 and ’73 teams allowed a combined 274 points, and in 1973, the Tigers allowed just 12 touchdowns.

21. Ben Wilkerson (2001-04), C

Wilkerson earned the starting center position as a freshman and went on to start 41 games before suffering a knee injury in October of his senior season. He was a leader on LSU’s 2003 national championship team and when he became LSU’s first Rimington Trophy winner (nation’s top center) as a junior he also joined Billy Cannon (1959 Heisman Trophy) and Reed (2001 Biletnikoff Award) as the only Tigers at the time to have won national awards.

20. Johnny Robinson (1957-59), HB/FL/S

Like many of his contemporaries, Robinson played offense and defense. In addition to excelling as a safety, after limited action as a ball carrier his first season, he emerged as one of the Tigers’ most productive offensive players, earning All-SEC honors in each of his last 2 seasons, when he was the team’s leading receiver and second-leading rusher. He was one of the most significant contributors when LSU won its first national championship in 1958.

19. Odell Beckham Jr. (2011-13), WR/Returner

Beckham was a role player as a freshman on the 2011 team that went undefeated in winning the SEC championship before falling in the BCS Championship, then became a standout during his final 2 seasons. As a junior in 2013 he won the Paul Hornung Award as the nation’s most versatile player after setting a school record with 2,315 all-purpose yards, which were the second-most in SEC history. He finished his career with the fifth-most all-purpose yards in school history (4,118).

18. Ja’Marr Chase (2018-19), WR

Thought he played only 2 seasons, Chase was one of the most dynamic receivers in school history – and in the country. He was the most productive receiver on the historic passing offense that keyed the national championship run in 2019. His accomplishments that season – which included SEC records of 1,780 receiving yards and a single-season LSU record 20 receiving touchdowns – earned him unanimous All-America recognition in addition to the Biletnikoff Award (nation’s top receiver).

17. Leonard Fournette (2014-16), RB

Injuries, most notably one to his ankle as a junior, hampered Fournette, but he remains the Tigers’ recognized career leader in yards per rushing attempt (6.2), rushing yards per game (119.7) and is No. 4 in career rushing yards after having a school-best 5 200-yard rushing games. He set the LSU single-season record with 1,953 yards in 2015. He also matched a school record with 9 consecutive 100-yard games. He reached 2,000 and 3,000 career rushing yards faster than any other Tiger and set or tied a total of 23 school records during his career.

16. Malik Nabers (2021-23), WR

Nabers set LSU records for career receptions (189) and career receiving yards (3,003) in addition to earning unanimous All-America honors in 2023. He led the SEC in receptions and had more than 1,000 receiving yards in each of his last 2 seasons. Nabers was one of the most dynamic players in the country and in 2023 he led the nation in receiving yards per game as well as plays that gained 20-plus yards and plays that gained 30-plus yards.

15. Patrick Peterson (2008-10), CB/Returner

Peterson is as responsible as any individual for LSU getting nicknamed “DBU” for producing a series of elite defensive backs. In addition to being an outstanding cornerback, winning the Bednarik and Thorpe awards in 2010, he was an explosive return specialist and was named a consensus All-American in his final season. Peterson scored touchdowns in 3 ways as a Tiger with 2 punt returns, 1 interception return and 1 return of a blocked field goal.

14. Tommy Hodson (1986-89), QB

Hodson didn’t win the Heisman Trophy and he’s not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but his career compares very well to those of the best quarterbacks in LSU history. He was the first player in SEC history in pass for 9,000 yards and the first SEC player to have 4 2,000-yard passing seasons. He started all but 1 game during his career and he remains the school’s all-time leader in passing yards (9,115) in addition to being the winningest quarterback (31-14-1) in LSU history – a pretty remarkable combination. He held the program record for most career touchdown passes, too, with 69 until Joe Burrow broke it in 2019.

13. Wendell Davis (1984-87), WR

Hodson’s primary target early in the early stages of his career was Davis, who was the SEC Player of the Year in 1987 when he helped the Tigers (10-1-1) to their first 10-win season in 26 years. When Davis left school he was the all-time leading receiver in SEC history and was No. 2 in career receiving yards at LSU (2,708). He’s still third on the LSU list. He also was tops in receptions in a game (14) and set single-season marks for receptions (80), receiving yardage (1,244), receiving touchdowns (11) and receiving yards per game (113.1).

12. Dalton Hilliard (1982-85), RB

Hilliard began his career sharing time with another dynamic runner (Garry James) and quickly established himself as one of the most prolific rushers in the country. He earned the first of three All-SEC honors as freshman, excelling as a rusher and pass receiver as he would continue to do as a Tiger and later as a New Orleans Saint. He had 1,000-yard rushing seasons as a junior and a senior and ranks No. 2 among Tigers in career rushing yards (4,050) and rushing touchdowns (44).

11. Bert Jones (1970-72), QB

Jones’ remarkable passing ability caused legendary coach Charles McClendon, perhaps a bit reluctantly, to feature the passing game much more prominently in his offense. Jones, who finished 4th in the Heisman voting as a senior and was later elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, left LSU as the school’s career leader in passes (418), completions (221), passing yards (3,255) and passing touchdowns (28). He led the SEC in passing yards as a junior and a senior and he was the Tigers’ first consensus All-America quarterback.

10. Devin White (2016-18), LB

White arrived at LSU as a running back before changing positions and becoming one of the best linebackers in school history. He finished his career with 286 total tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and had a hand in 9 takeaways despite starting just 25 games in his career. White was named a permanent team captain and the team’s MVP in each of his final 2 seasons, earning consensus All-America honors and becoming the Tigers’ first Butkus Award winner as the country’s best linebacker in 2018.

9. Abe Mickal (1933-35), HB/FB/K/P

Statistics don’t tell the story of any player from Mickal’s era, but his excellence in a variety of areas has kept him among LSU’s elite nearly a century after he finished playing. Mickal found his way to Baton Rouge after being born in Lebanon and proved to be unusually accurate as a passer with a knack for connecting on long passes, which was rare at the time. His overall contributions were significant in the Tigers compiling a record of 23-4-5 during his tenure and led to him being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1967.

8. Charles Alexander (1975-78), RB

Alexander was one of the most productive running backs in the country throughout his career. He was named SEC Player of the Year as a junior and was a two-time consensus All-American, finishing as the No. 3 rusher in school history (4,035) and running for 40 touchdowns. Alexander set LSU and SEC records for rushing yards (1,686) and rushing yards per game (153.5) in 1977 on his way to becoming a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

7. Jerry Stovall (1960-62), HB/P/DB/Returner

Stovall was the SEC Player of the Year as a senior, capping a remarkable career in which he excelled in all three phases. He led the team in rushing and receiving and set a school record for single-season punting average (42.1). He played on the 1961 SEC championship team and was named All-American the following season. Stovall returned to the Tigers as head coach from 1980-83 after the tragic death of Bo Rein in an airplane crash and led the team to the Orange Bowl in 1982. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

6. Glenn Dorsey (2004-07), DL

Most of LSU’s success in the 20th Century was defined by outstanding defenses, many of which featured elite linemen. By the time Dorsey arrived, the Tigers also were led by their offenses, but Dorsey was a throwback. He returned for his senior season despite being projected as a No. 1 NFL Draft pick after his junior season. He was a two-time All-American and won four national awards as one of the most important players on LSU’s 2007 national championship team despite playing injured during the second half of the season. Dorsey was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

5. Kevin Faulk (1995-98), RB

Faulk was the most productive offensive player among non-quarterbacks in school history. This College Football Hall of Fame inductee left school as its all-time leader in all-purpose yards (6,833), which was 4th-best in NCAA history. Faulk, who remains LSU’s all-time leader in rushing yards (4,557) and touchdowns (46), made an impact right away. He was named SEC Freshman Offensive Player of the Year and capped his first season by being named the Independence Bowl Offensive MVP and eventually finished his career as the holder of 17 LSU and SEC records. In 2022, Faulk became the 11th LSU player inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

4. Tommy Casanova (1969-71), DB/Returner/HB

This Top 25 ranking features several versatile players and a case can be made that Casanova was the most versatile player in LSU history. He was a two-time consensus All-American. One of his most memorable games came in 1970 when the future College Football Hall of Fame member had 2 of the Tigers’ 3 punt returns for touchdowns in a 61-17 rout of Ole Miss in Tiger Stadium.

3. Billy Cannon (1957-59), HB/Returner/DB

Cannon was LSU’s first – and for more than half a century its only – Heisman Trophy Winner, capturing the honor in 1959. He excelled in all three phases and was one of the most important players on the Tigers’ 1958 national championship team. He also produced one of the most memorable plays in school history in 1959 when he kept the reigning national champions undefeated (for another week anyway) when he returned a fourth-quarter punt 89 yards for a touchdown in the Tiger Stadium fog on Halloween night for the winning points in a 7-3 victory against No. 2 Ole Miss.

2. Jayden Daniels (2022-23), QB

The transfer from Arizona State did more in 2 seasons than most quarterbacks could do in 4 or 5. Daniels threw for 57 touchdowns (third all-time in school history) and had just 7 interceptions as a Tiger, in addition to averaging more than 1,000 rushing yards in his 2 seasons. He was responsible for 79 touchdowns overall, second all-time behind Joe Burrow (88). As a senior he was a runaway winner of the Heisman Trophy and earned two other national Player of the Year awards and three awards as the best quarterback in the country.

1. Joe Burrow (2018-19), QB

One of the more remarkable elements in Daniels’ career was how close he came to duplicating Burrow’s historic success from 2019, when Burrow ended LSU’s post-Cannon Heisman drought by winning in the Heisman Trophy in record fashion. Like Daniels, Burrow was a transfer (from Ohio State) whose 2-season numbers easily could have passed for those from twice as many – or more seasons.

Burrow wasn’t nearly the runner that Daniels was (though he was plenty good enough to keep defenses honest), but he had arguably the greatest passing season in NCAA history in leading the undefeated national championship Tigers to perhaps the most impressive season in NCAA history in 2019.

He completed an NCAA-record 76.3 percent of his passes for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns (both single-season SEC records) and 6 interceptions. In 2 seasons, Burrow became LSU’s all-time leader in touchdown passes (76) and was No. 2 in passing yards (8,565).

Others played in more games at LSU and some were more versatile in the positions they played as Tigers.

But the impact that Burrow had in Baton Rouge is unmatched in the lengthy and storied history of football at LSU.

Les East

Les East is a New Orleans-based football writer who covers LSU for SaturdayDownSouth.com. Follow him on Twitter @Les_East.