HOUSTON – Kamari Lassiter and Ladd McConkey formed a strong bond and friendship on the University of Georgia practice field as two young football players determined to prove themselves.
They had epic practice battles as both earned featured roles for a powerhouse college football team led by Kirby Smart that won two national championships during their ultra-successful run on campus.
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Lassiter would try to mirror McConkey step for step on his polished routes to try to disrupt his timing. And McConkey, a former walk-on who earned a scholarship, won his fair share of their matchups with his 4.39 speed and hands.
“Ladd, that’s my dawg,” Lassiter said. “Great teammate, we go way back.”
Now, the two friends and former teammates will meet Saturday in a pivotal game within an AFC wild-card round playoff game at NRG Stadium between the AFC South champion Texans and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Lassiter, a second-round draft pick who has three interceptions and has allowed just 43.8 percent of quarterbacks’ throws to be completed against him, will line up across from McConkey, the go-to wide receiver for Chargers star quarterback Justin Herbert.
“Everything is coming full circle,” Lassiter said. “Really excited to play against him. Just excited to see him at this level and see myself at this level. That’s something we dreamed of. We had some good battles in college. Saturday, I expect nothing less.”
McConkey has emerged as a dangerous downfield threat for the Chargers with his combination of crisp routes and toughness. He leads the Chargers with 82 catches for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns on 112 targets
Lassiter has recorded 58 tackles, 10 passes defensed and one safety, allowing 32 completions on 73 targets for 424 yards and four touchdowns for an opposing quarterback rating of 64.0 while lining up opposite Pro Bowl cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.
The friendship between Lassiter and McConkey started four years ago, forged on the football field and strengthened their through their shared love for the game. They even trained together for the NFL scouting combine and both wound up being drafted in the second round by their respective teams.
“Ladd is a great person,” Lassiter said. “Really good person, I’ve got nothing but good things to say. That’s my brother. We go way back. We trained together in the middle of nowhere in Florida for three months. Ladd is one of my good friends, but he’s an even better football player. He came up from nothing, really. He was a walk-on, paved his own way, started on the scout team and then got drafted in the second round.
Texans rookie Kamari Lassiter relishes first NFL interception: ‘Show the guys I’m here to stay
#Texans rookie corner Kamari Lassiter on competing in playoff game against #Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey, his 'good friend' and former @GeorgiaFootball teammate 'Everything is coming full circle' @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/xm66m9bZ0F
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) January 8, 2025
“So, that speaks for itself. Hard work, just hard work and the will to not be denied. I’ve seen it with my own time. I wasn’t a walk-on, but I had to get it out of the mud as well. When I first got there, he was paving his way and then he had a great season.”
It’s considered likely that Stingley will follow McConkey around some, but he’s not the Chargers’ only good wide receiver. Former TCU standout Quentin Johnston has the Texans’ full attention, too. So, Lassiter and McConkey figure to see each other plenty on Saturday.
“He’s a really good player, he’s proven that,” Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke said of McConkey. “Obviously, had a good season. Formed a connection with the quarterback pretty early, obviously, you can see that. Very crisp route runner. Very sharp breaks, top of the routes, has it all in his bag, in breaks, out breaks, a lot of option stuff with him.
“So, hard to just pick one leverage with him, because he can run it all. So, for sure, he’s done a good job. He’s obviously kind of become the go-to guy for them, especially in some of the critical situations. And then we’ll just see how we take care of him.”
McConkey has 52 first downs and a 57.1 percent success rate. He’s definitely fast on the stopwatch and on film.
“He’s way faster,” Lassiter said. “He doesn’t look slow.”
#Texans DC Matt Burke called #Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey 'go-to guy' for Saturday wild card playoff opponent, said he hasn't spoken yet with Kamari Lassiter about scouting report, they played together @GeorgiaFootball @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/9UQ6qAKaPk
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) January 8, 2025
McConkey won the Wuerffel trophy for the Bulldogs. He finished his college career with 119 catches for 1,687 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Lining up primarily in the slot for the Chargers, McConkey has shown all season that he’s a capable wide receiver.
“With McConkey the thing that stands out the most is just his route running ability,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “It really jumps off the tape how detailed he is with his routes, how urgent he is with his route. At the top of his route he does a really good job at break points.
“He is a tough cover. He does a good job of motioning them around, moving them to different spots in the formation. He is a dynamic player, not only with the routes but once he gets the ball in his hands he can be explosive as well. He is a tough cover in the slot, one of the better slots we have seen all year.”
Just as McConkey has shown what he can do, Lassiter has displayed a competitive mettle and ability to do it all as a physical corner who’s a willing and capable tackler with the cover skills to match.
“I feel like I was built for it since I was young,” Lassiter said. “There’s not much I haven’t seen. I play with the passion I’ve always had and play for the people who love me and even the people who hate me. Everything cranks up in the playoffs. It’s all on the line. It’s win or go home.”
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Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
