Aaron Anderson injury update: Brian Kelly reveals latest on health, availability of LSU WR

LSU was able to take down South Carolina but did so without a key offensive player. Wide receiver Aaron Anderson watched from the Tiger Stadium sidelines, missing out due to an injury. There are multiple issues Anderson could be dealing with to prevent him from playing. So, on Wednesday, head coach Brian Kelly revealed the exact issue at this time.

“The knee that he’s had most of his problems with is one that gets inflamed,” Kelly said on the SEC Coaches Teleconference. “Again, he’s not 100%. He’s a guy that needs to play fast and free and he just wasn’t in that mindset this past weekend.”

Now, the question revolving around Anderson becomes his status for this week’s game against Vanderbilt. LSU goes on the road to face a confident bunch in Nashville, especially on the defensive end. If Garrett Nussmeier is going to find success, somebody like Anderson is needed on the field.

Thankfully, a positive update came from Kelly. Anderson appears to be in practice and the expectation is for him to be involved moving forward.

“He went the entire day,” Kelly said. “His player load is good, we kind of monitor those things for our wide receivers… But he is in practice this week so we expect him to do a nice job for us.”

Even after missing a game, Anderson is LSU’s leading receiver. He totals 23 catches for 305 yards over the course of five games. If there is anything missing from the stat sheet at the moment, it’s a touchdown — something you know every wide receiver wants to get on the board.

Anderson put together a solid performance vs. Vanderbilt in 2024, going for 68 yards on six receptions. Certainly not the most explosive line of the season but enough to help LSU get a seven-point victory in Baton Rouge.

Repeating the result can help the Tigers improve to 3-1 in SEC play. This is the beginning of a tough three-game stretch, going up against ranked opponents in all of them. Texas A&M comes to Tiger Stadium next Saturday before enjoying a bye week, and then going to Tuscaloosa for a massive showdown vs. Alabama. Those two are currently placed inside the top 10.

Hopefully, Anderson is healthy enough to make it through the slate. He is, thankfully, trending in the right direction before Vanderbilt, according to Kelly. Still, something to monitor throughout the week.