LSU’s Molton out for season

• By SCOTT HOTARD
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Jun 27, 2009 - Page: 1C

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Two years ago, Jordan Jefferson and Tim Molton hooked up for a Destrehan team that went 15-0 and won the Class 5A state championship.

And maybe, in the process, they gave LSU fans a glimpse into the future.

Maybe.

But the future — for Molton, anyway — will have to wait.

After showing promise throughout the spring, Molton suffered a knee injury recently in a seven-on-seven, noncontact workout. The redshirt freshman will miss the 2009 season, LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette said Friday.

“It’s a tough, tough blow for a guy who was in position to become a big impact player for LSU,” Destrehan coach Stephen Robicheaux said.

It’s a tough blow, too, for an LSU team that has a need at wide receiver.

Senior Brandon LaFell is back after earning All-Southeastern Conference honors as a junior. Terrance Toliver, who caught 22 passes for 257 yards as a sophomore, also returns.

Beyond that, LSU’s receiving corps is mostly unproven.

Demetrius Byrd, last year’s No. 2 receiver, graduated. Three-year letterman Jared Mitchell, the Chicago White Sox’s first-round draft pick, gave up football in the spring to focus on baseball.

Molton figured to play a prominent role this season as Jefferson, the star of last year’s Chick-fil-A Bowl triumph, moves into the starting quarterback spot.

An all-district performer at Destrehan in football, basketball and track, Molton used his 6-foot-3 frame and athleticism to catch the attention of coaches in the spring. It was an extension of his performance in the fall, as a redshirt on the scout team.

“I know it’s a mouthful, but he’s probably one of the best athletes I’ve been around since Ed Reed,” Robicheaux said, referring to the All-Pro safety.