Nic Anderson injury update: Brian Kelly reveals status after fender bender

LSU is back on the practice field Wednesday, as fall camp in Baton Rouge begins. One player was missing from a few drills, though — wide receiver Nic Anderson. After joining LSU from Oklahoma this offseason via the NCAA transfer portal, Anderson is set to be an important piece for the Tigers.

Thankfully, there is no major reason to be concerned. Anderson recently got into a fender bender, according to head coach Brian Kelly. And after going through concussion protocol, Anderson is set to return on Thursday.

“We kept him out of contact today,” Kelly said in a press conference. “He had gone through our concussion protocol. He had gotten into a little fender bender and so, we wanted to make sure. He’s cleared out concussion protocol and today was his day of non-contact. He’ll be able to get into 11-on-11, 7-on-7 tomorrow.”

Anderson was one of the highest-rated players to enter the portal this offseason. Per the On3 Industry Transfer Portal Rankings, he was the No. 26 overall player. Seven different wide receivers ranked ahead of him, including now-LSU teammate Barion Brown. Two guys Kelly is going to rely on a lot to continue the recent excellent receiver play within the program.

Unfortunately, injuries are nothing new for Anderson. Almost all of his 2024 season at Oklahoma was occupied due to an issue. Anderson wound up only playing in one game for the Sooners after a breakout 2023 campaign, one of the many wide receiver injuries for the Sooners.

LSU is hoping a healthy Anderson can see him fulfill the potential everyone believes he has. Two years ago, he finished with 798 yards and 10 touchdowns on just 38 receptions — an outstanding 21.0 yards per catch. Three different times did Anderson break the 100-yard mark within a singular game, including a career performance of three catches for 1120 yards and three touchdowns against Tulsa.

Getting back into contact portions of fall camp will be a positive step for Anderson. While he may have transferred in from an SEC school, he has yet to go through the ringer of an SEC schedule. LSU will be tested on nearly a weekly basis.

But for now, all attention is on the Week 1 opener against Clemson. Kelly knows how important a season-opening win would be for the program after losing the previous five. Hopefully, Anderson will be ready to go on Aug. 30.