LSU Tigers’ Sunday firing of head coach Brian Kelly rattled college football to its foundations, but the response of one player was more telling than anyone else. New York Giants wide receiver and LSU graduate Malik Nabers did have an opinion; however, he shared it in a very vivid manner.

The Giants’ wide receiver shared one of his “kick rocks” videos on his Instagram story soon after the news about Kelly went viral. The short video, shared by MLFootball on Twitter, caught Nabers’ reaction, confirming that his opinion of Kelly wasn’t any higher after spending time in Baton Rouge.

Nabers’ story decidedly showed he wasn’t going to be one of the people missing Kelly. As MLFootball wrote, “Nabers does not appear to be a very big fan of Kelly, who coached him for three seasons.”

LSU football’s cancellation of Brian Kelly’s contract came after a disappointing 2025 season, with the Tigers losing three out of four of their last games and out of College Football Playoff contention.

The tension between the two dates back to 2022, when Kelly called out Nabers following costly special teams mistakes early in the season. ”You put a guy back there, a guy like Malik Nabers, you watch him, you evaluate him through four weeks of practice, and you feel comfortable with his elite skill set and his mindset that he’s going to be able to do a great job, and that wasn’t the case.” His words were perceived as he had been too quick to judge Nabers.

Nabers replied in the only way he could, on the field. At the end of his LSU career, he had put to rest all questions of whether he had it. He was a unanimous All-American in 2023, ranking first in the nation at 120.7 receiving yards per contest and top in the SEC for receptions (89) and receptions for yardage (1,569). He caught 14 touchdown passes, second nationally, and ran defenses ragged with his playmaker ability, ranking atop FBS players in plays of 20+ and 30+ yards.

That success was carried to the NFL level as Nabers became the most highly drafted wide receiver in New York Giants history since the Super Bowl era. Nabers was a great fit with head coach Brian Daboll, as Nabers explained at the NFL Combine, “Their head coach, they love dogs.”

His swagger is directly transposed from his LSU days, even during the worry years under Kelly.

Brian Kelly’s turbulent tenure ends in frustration

For LSU, the termination of Brian Kelly’s employment closed the door on the thrill ride of a three-year rollercoaster of highs and head-scratching lows. The program officially terminated Kelly’s contract eight games early, buying him out for an estimated $54 million.

For all the terrific recruiting and flash-in-the-pan offense highlights, his leadership never established the sustained heights of dominance LSU stalwarts had dreamed of when signing him in 2022.

Kelly’s time in Baton Rouge was marked by moments of visible frustration. Earlier this season, after a 20-10 win over Florida, he clashed with a reporter who asked about the team’s offensive inconsistency. It’s not the first time that Kelley has shown aggression at the press conference. Last season, after the opening loss, he had one such encounter.

Things only worsened by 2025. LSU’s previously stalwart defense disintegrated under the spotlight, and the inability of the team to close out games became a phenomenon that could never be stopped. Kelly’s quick temper and public disrespect for players generated a persistent tension that never really ceased in the program.

LSU now has to reconstruct all over again in search of stability and leadership following another tale of shock and drama.