The 25 best players in LSU football history

Nicknamed "Miracle" for his ability to make rather improbable plays based on individual talent alone. Whether running, throwing or kicking, Mickal essentially did it all as one of the great college football players of the 1930s. It was nothing extraordinary for Mickal to toss touchdown passes of more than 40 and 50 yards while also bruising his way up and down the field as a power runner. During Mickel's three-year collegiate tenure, LSU went 23-4-5. He's a member of both the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame.

The first unanimous All-American selection in the history of the LSU football program. Tinsley checked in at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, making him the ideal receiving end for that era. During the 1936 season, the Tigers scored 281 points — most in the nation. Tinsley was responsible for 48 of them. A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Tinsley enjoyed a solid professional career for the Chicago Cardinals. He eventually made his way back to Baton Rouge to serve as head coach of the Tigers football team from 1948-54. 

Tittle's football legacy might have been written through his professional success; however, his stardom was born with the Tigers. For the era, Tittle made a name for himself as a passing quarterback who shined within the T formation. Sure, he could run, but his arm was the story. For his LSU career, Tittle completed 166 passes for 2,517 yards with 21 touchdowns. Tittle, who also enjoyed some success on the defensive side of the ball in college, played 17 seasons in the NFL, was a seven-time Pro Bowler, and the MVP of the 1963 season with the New York Giants.

Known during his LSU days as "Jimmy," Taylor laid the foundation for his Hall of Fame pro career — notably with the Green Bay Packers — as a Tiger. However, the start to Taylor's LSU career wasn't an easy one. After playing on the freshman team in 1954, Taylor left school due to poor grades and attended a Mississippi community college. He returned to LSU for the 1956 campaign, and totaled 1,314 rushing yards in his two years of varsity action. Taylor also scored 20 touchdowns those two seasons, and was an All-American selection in 1957.

The first true LSU football star, as well as the first Tiger to win the Heisman Trophy (1959). Though Cannon certainly made some questionable decisions off the field, before and after starring at LSU, he was a versatile force on the gridiron. He helped lead LSU to the 1958 national championship. Then, during his 1959 Heisman season, Cannon delivered one of the most famous moments in LSU football history. With the Tigers down 3-0 to Ole Miss, Cannon fielded a punt at his own 11-yard-line, then broke seven tackles on his way to a touchdown return and eventual LSU victory. A College Football Hall of Famer, Cannon rushed for 1,867 yards and recorded 24 rushing touchdowns as a Tiger. He also caught 31 passes for 522 yards with two touchdowns and returned 31 punts for 349 yards and 21 kickoffs for 616.

The aforementioned Cannon — who, like Robinson, was a hometown Baton Rouge product — got most of the attention when it came to LSU football in the late 1950s. However, Robinson was obviously worthy of acclaim in his own right. During the Tigers' run to the 1958 national championship, Robinson rushed for 480 yards and seven touchdowns while catching 16 passes for 235 yards and three scores to earn first-team All-SEC honors. A year later, Robinson rushed for 316 yards and five touchdowns and caught 16 more passes with four TDs as a senior. 

Dubbed "Mr. Everything," Stovall is another in a long line of versatile, two-way standouts to star for the Tigers. He finished his All-American collegiate career with 1,071 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground, plus 462 receiving yards and one touchdown through the air. In addition, Stovall, the 1962 SEC Player of the Year, recorded seven career interceptions and almost 700 yards as a returner. He was also the school's longtime single-season record holder with a 42.1 average yards per punt. Following his Hall of Fame college career and success in the NFL, Stovall eventually returned to LSU, serving as head coach from 1980-83.

The highly versatile Casanova earned All-SEC honors for three seasons, and was an All-American pick in 1970 and '71. While Casanova essentially made a name for himself as a hard-hitting defender, he also rushed 72 times during his college career and averaged 14.0 yards as a return man. During a 1970 contest versus rival Ole Miss, Casanova took punts of 61 and 73 yards back for touchdowns. Casanova, who went on to play six seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995.

Jones didn't really taste individual success at LSU until he was a junior. That said, he certainly made up for any lost time in a big way. As a senior in 1972, Jones became the school's first consensus All-American quarterback while throwing for school-record 1,446 yards and 14 touchdowns, and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting. A season earlier, Jones helped lead the Tigers to the SEC title. When Jones' collegiate career ended, he was LSU's career leader in passing yards (3,255), attempts (418), completions (220) and touchdowns (28). He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

Another member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Alexander sits third on LSU's all-time rushing list with 4,035 yards. He rushed for 1,777 yards in his first two seasons with the Tigers as backup to star Terry Robiskie. Alexander became LSU's featured back as a junior in 1977 (when he rushed for 1,686 yards with 17 touchdowns and was named SEC Player of the Year), and went on to become a consensus All-American pick his final two seasons. Alexander's 20 100-yard rushing games rank second in school history, while his 40 all-time rushing TDs are tied for third. 

One of three LSU backs to rush for at least 4,000 yards, Hilliard ranks second on the school's all-time rushing list with 4,050 yards, as well as second with 44 rushing touchdowns — done over 44 games. Hilliard's 1,268 yards gained on the ground from 1984 is the eighth-highest total for a season in LSU history. A member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, Hilliard was a three-time, first-team All-SEC selection (1982, 1984, 1985). He then played eight seasons with the New Orleans Saints, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 1989 and a spot in the team's Hall of Fame.

We've touched on the elite running backs who have graced the gridiron at LSU, but the program has also produced some of the most celebrated wide receivers of all time. Davis should be considered the school's first true receiving star. He's LSU's all-time leader with 183 receptions and sits second with 2,708 receiving yards. Meanwhile, Davis' 19 career touchdowns also rank within the top 10 in school history. A two-time, first-team All-American (1986, '87) and the SEC Player of the Year in 1987, Davis might be have been ahead of his time when it came to receiving excellence. 

Faulk certainly hit the ground running upon arriving on the LSU campus. A starter as a freshman in 1995, Faulk gained 852 yards that season, and ended his career as the Tigers' all-time leading rusher with 4,557 rushing yards (not including bowl statistics), and fourth in SEC history. His 46 career rushing touchdowns are also the most in school history. Faulk's 22 games with at least 100 yards rushing are also a school record. In addition, Faulk amassed 6,833 career all-purpose yards and 53 total touchdowns at LSU. A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Faulk won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.

From one great LSU receiver to another. Reed is the only player in Tigers history to break the 3,000-yard receiving mark at 3,001. Reed, fourth in school history with 167 catches, won the Biletnikoff Award during the 2001 season in recording 94 receptions for 1,740 yards — both rank second at LSU for a single season — and an SEC-best 145.0 average yards per game. The All-American and two-time, first-team All-SEC selection also owns LSU records with 100-yard receiving games for a season (11 in 2001) and career (18).

A member of LSU's 2003 national championship squad, Wilkerson is the only Tiger to date to be awarded with the Rimington Trophy (2004), honoring the nation's top center on an annual basis. At the time, Wilkerson joined Billy Cannon and Josh Reed as the only LSU players to win a national award. Wilkerson's ability, combining strength, exceptional positional footwork and the intangible to lead, made him one of the most dependable players in LSU history. Despite going undrafted, Wilkerson played parts of four seasons in the NFL.

With Dorsey, we could be talking about the greatest defensive player in LSU football history. During his memorable senior season of 2007, Dorsey won the Outland and Lott Trophies, in addition to the Lombardi and Nagurski Awards. He recorded 69 tackles, including 12 1/2 for loss, with seven sacks that season, while also earning first-team All-American honors for a second straight year and helping the Tigers win a national championship. For his stellar four-year college career, which spanned 52 games, Dorsey registered 179 tackles (87 solos), 27 tackles for loss and 13 sacks.

Great running backs and receivers, but how about defensive backs? Is LSU "DB U"? When talking about the great defensive backs in LSU history, Peterson might be the first coming to mind. A winner of both the Thorpe and Chuck Bednarik Awards in 2010, Peterson is one of the best lockdown corners to play the game. He's also among the great all-time return men in SEC history. During that special 2010 campaign, Peterson averaged 29.1 yards per kick return and 16.1 per punt. Meanwhile, for his defensive career, Peterson totaled 135 tackles and seven interceptions.

Another Thorpe Award winner to highlight. Patrick Peterson was an exceptional cover corner, but Claiborne was a pure ball hawk within the Tigers' secondary. His 11 career interceptions tied for sixth all time in school history entering the 2023 season. Six of those interceptions came during this Thorpe-winning 2011 campaign, during which the All-American picked off six passes, while also being named SEC Defensive Player of the Year. For his LSU career, Claiborne also recorded 95 tackles, 12 pass breakups and 274 interception return yards.

The "Honey Badger" certainly had his issues during a relatively brief run at LSU, notably with substance abuse. However, what Mathieu was able to do on the field was pretty special when talking about LSU football. As a true freshman in 2010, Mathieu recorded nearly 60 tackles, with 4 1/2 sacks and two interceptions. He was even better in 2011, posting 77 tackles, two interceptions, forcing five fumbles and recovering four. He also took two punts back for touchdowns. Mathieu ended up winning the Bednarik Award and was a Heisman Trophy finalist in what proved to be his final collegiate season.

When it comes to doing it all, OBJ made it look easy. Before embarking on a rather intriguing NFL career, Beckham proved to be one of the most versatile players in college football history. For his three-year career as a college receiver, Beckham totaled 143 receptions for 2,340 yards and 12 touchdowns. As a return specialist, he recorded 1,044 yards returning kicks and 557 on punts. In 2013, Beckham set an LSU record for single-season all-purpose yards with 2,315 — for an average of 178.1 per contest — to win the Hornung Award, honoring the nation's most versatile player.

It took just 32 games for Fournette to etch himself as one of the great running backs in LSU football history. His 3,830 rushing yards are fourth-most in school history, and the 1,953 he gained in 2015 remains a single-season LSU record. In addition, the All-American is also the Tigers' record holder for rushing yards per game in a career (119.7) and season (162.8 from 2015). Fournette's 40 rushing touchdowns for a career are tied for third, while his 10 games with at least 100 rushing yards equals the most by any Tiger. Fournette rushed for at least 200 yards on five different occasions.

The only player in LSU history to win the coveted Butkus Award, honoring the nation's top linebacker. White took home the award in 2018, when he posted 123 tackles, including 62 solos, and 12 for loss, plus three sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. That followed a 2017 campaign when White set a career high with 133 tackles, 14 for loss, and 4 1/2 sacks. The two-time, first-team All-SEC selection ended his three-season career at LSU with 286 tackles (114 solos), 29 tackles for loss and 8 1/2 sacks.

After seeing action in just two games during the 2017 campaign, Jefferson led the Tigers with 54 receptions, 875 receiving yards and six touchdown catches one season later. However, it was in 2019 during LSU's run to a national title that Jefferson truly took off. His 111 receptions remain a single-season school record, while the 1,540 receiving yards he totaled rank third and his 18 receiving touchdowns are the second-most at LSU. In essentially two collegiate seasons for the Tigers, Jefferson totaled 165 catches for 2,415 yards and 24 touchdowns — each ranking among the career top six. 

Following three seemingly lost years at Ohio State, Burrow became a star at LSU. During his first season as a starter in 2018, Burrow threw for 2,894 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions during a 10-3 season. However, it was 2019 when Burrow solidified himself as college football's best player and an LSU legend. Burrow led the country in completion percentage (76.3), passing yards (5,671), passing touchdowns (60) and passer rating (202.0) as the Tigers ran the table toward a national championship and he became the school's second Heisman Trophy winner. Those 8,565 yards in two seasons are second-most in school history for a career, while his 76 TD passes sit atop the all-time list.

Chase's LSU career spanned all of 24 games over two seasons. However, it was 2019 when he and the aforementioned Joe Burrow dominated the college football landscape en route to an LSU national championship. That season, Chase posted 84 receptions (third-most in school history for a single season) while setting SEC records with 1,780 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns. That overall performance secured Chase the Biletnikoff Award. Though he sat out the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, Chase was still picked in the top five of the 2021 NFL Draft and named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year that season.