Cortez Hankton's big NFL Draft weekend a glimpse at future for LSU WRs
LSU wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator Cortez Hankton had an NFL Draft weekend some colleges would love to have as a whole.
Hankton had five players he’s coached, developed and/or recruited land in the top 80 2024 NFL Draft picks.
On top of 1st round draft picks from his recent coaching run at LSU in Top 10 pick Malik Nabers and 1st rounder Brian Thomas, Jr., he had a trio of former players land with NFL teams.
Georgia’s Ladd McConkey and Jermaine Burton went at No. 34 to the Los Angeles Chargers and No. 80 to the Cincinnati Bengals, respectively. Former Georgia turned Texas wideout AD Mitchell also landed in the draft at No. 52 overall, going to the Indianapolis Colts.
Joining an episode of Andy Staples On3 on YouTube earlier this month, Hankton Jr. told stories about Nabers and Thomas, and why they’ve been nothing but successful on the football field.
“Well, I had a little history with both of them because I recruited them coming out of high school, and so I was familiar with their skill set,” Hankton Jr. said. “Malik was always ultra competitive. He was the guy that played a game with a chip on his shoulder. You know, there’s this way about him that he can willed himself to make a play.
“Brian Thomas is probably the most gifted athlete that ever coached and also has high football intelligence. And so when you are blessed to coach those guys, they make your job a lot easier.”
Five of the first 13 wideouts taken in the draft are products in some way of Hankton’s tutelage.
For LSU, that’s a good sign. The future could be bright, if Hankton’s past group is any indication.
Hankton’s got an opportunity to turn Kyren Lacy into a draft pick as he heads into his final season with the Tigers. He brought in Liberty wideout CJ Daniels, Mississippi State playmaker Zavion Thomas and has others in the mix to one day hear their name on draft day.
Hankton’s got more talent on the way for LSU.
After signing a solid group in 2024, which includes a borderline Top 100 prospect in Kylan Billiot, LSU has the No. 1 wideout committed in 2025, Dakorien Moore. Toss in Louisiana standout and four-star prospect TaRon Francis, and LSU’s future appears bright at the position.
Hankton’s ascent into co-offensive coordinator is well-deserved since arriving back in his home state coming off a National Championship with Georgia.
Quietly, he’s shown why he’s a key staffer for the Tigers, who has kept the professional talent at wideout flowing out of Baton Rouge.
His weekend in Detroit might just be the start.
