Here’s an interesting move: NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill first reported that the New Orleans Saints signed former LSU Tigers playmaker Jontre Kirklin after a successful tryout. One of the most versatile football players in school history, Kirklin did everything at LSU.
Nominally listed as a wide receiver (though he totaled just 313 receiving yards and 3 touchdown catches in four years), Kirklin covered punts and kickoffs while also returning them and sometimes lining up in the backfield. He even played defensive back earlier in his career. But his most impressive feat came in his final game as a Tiger, when Kirklin was a surprise starter at quarterback against Kansas State in the Texas Bowl, where he went 8-of-12 for 151 passing yards, scoring 3 touchdown passes against a pair of interceptions.
“He’s a god,” gushed Dylan Sanders, our own contributor here at Saints Wire who also covers LSU athletics for 247 Sports. “I’m joking, but he was like one of those guys that was around forever and never really broke out but was an amazing locker room guy and super consistent depth piece.”
Kirklin weighs in at 5-foot-11 and just 184 pounds, so he’s not likely to see a Taysom Hill-style role offensively (Hill maintains a playing-weight at around 230 pounds0. He’s an intriguing athlete, though, with a passable 6.08 Relative Athletic Score and very impressive numbers in the jumps — leaping 42 inches vertically and 11-foot-6 broad. After initially signing with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2022, Kirklin played for the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks.
We’ve seen special teamers catch on with the Saints before. Backup free safety J.T. Gray has earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro recognition in that role while rarely playing many minutes on defense. Other reserves like running back Dwayne Washington, linebacker Andrew Dowell (who was recently lost for the season with a torn ACL), cornerback Justin Hardee Sr., and defensive back Chris Banjo have also earned roster spots for their work in the kicking game. So keep a close eye on Kirklin when he gets his shot at Saints training camp. He’ll be wearing jersey No. 85.
