The LSU Tigers aim to contend for their first SEC Conference Championship since 2022 and the first College Football Playoff berth since 2019. For that to happen, the running game must show drastic improvement from last season’s lackluster performance. The Tigers’ rushing attack finished at the bottom in every major statistical category in 2024, ranking 107th in rushing yards, tied for 81st in yards per attempt, and tied for 97th in rushing touchdowns among 134 FBS schools.
LSU Tigers freshman had a great finish to the season
After not playing in the season opener and having a limited role on offense in the first four games, Caden Durham took over as the starting running back in Week 5, a position he held for the rest of the year. He had a great true freshman campaign, finishing as the team’s leading rusher and sixth-leading receiver. Durham rushed for 753 yards on 140 carries and six touchdowns, plus 28 receptions for 260 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games.
He looks to build on his strong freshman season and pick up where he left off.
LSU Tigers’ top back named breakout candidate by FOX
In a FOX Sports article, Michael Cohen goes through the top 10 breakout candidates heading into 2025. He lists Caden Durham for the LSU Tigers. Cohen points to Durham being a threat in both the running and passing games, having rushed for over 50 yards eight times, and the expectations that he will become one of the top running backs in the nation as a sophomore.
“The production that Durham put forth as both a runner and a receiving threat during his true freshman campaign has created plenty of excitement for a program with legitimate national championship aspirations this fall. Durham, who starred at Duncanville High School in the Dallas suburbs, was a four-star prospect and the No. 5 tailback in the country behind Taylor Tatum (Oklahoma), Nate Frazier (Georgia), Kevin Riley (Alabama), and Jordan Marshall (Michigan). He committed to the Tigers over strong recruiting interest from Oklahoma, where his mother ran track for the Sooners, and Texas A&M. Durham himself qualified for the state championships in the 100-meter dash and 4×100-meter relay during his time at Duncanville with a personal best of 10.28 seconds in the former,” Cohen said.
“He made his first splash for the Tigers in Week 2 against South Carolina by carrying 11 times for 98 yards and two scores in a 36-33 victory that helped propel LSU toward a 6-0 start. Two weeks later, against South Alabama, Durham turned in arguably his finest performance of the season by rushing for 128 yards and a score while also catching three passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. In doing so, he became one of only two players at the FBS level to have a rush of 80-plus yards and a reception of 70-plus yards in the same game last season, joining UCF tailback RJ Harvey in that category. By season’s end, Durham would eclipse 50 rushing yards eight times despite only averaging 11.7 carries per game. He finished as the team’s leading rusher with 753 yards and also ranked first in the SEC among freshmen tailbacks. The expectation entering Year 2 is that Durham should be one of the best in the country at his position.”
