The LSU Tigers may have found their next great running back in true freshman Caden Durham. Any LSU fan knows the names Leonard Fournette, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Derrius Guice, or even Kevin Faulk. The Tigers have a rich history of producing talented, game changing running backs. Durham is young but already making a name for himself in LSU history among those names.
The 2024 season started off with a heartbreaking 27-20 loss against the USC Trojans. The starting running back at the time was sixth year senior John Emery Jr. Emery was primed to have a comeback season after his last season was cut short by a torn ACL. Emery had a solid performance against the Trojans, rushing for 61 yards on 10 carries. Unfortunately, tragedy would strike just three days later, and Emery would go down in practice with yet another torn ACL, ending his 2024 season.
The following game the LSU Tigers would try to lean on senior running back Josh Williams and sophomore Kaleb Johnson. The combination of the two could only manage 38 yards on the ground, leaving it to first year starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier to lead the Tigers to the 44-21 win over Nicholls State.
The Tigers haven’t had a running back that could take over a game since Clyde Edwards-Helaire and that dominant National Championship team in 2019. The last couple of years the explosive runs had to come from Heisman winning quarterback Jayden Daniels. With Daniels being selected in the NFL Draft, Emery was the best chance for the Tigers rushing attack heading into 2024.
Things didn’t seem to be clicking for the LSU offense, and it was starting to look like a long season ahead. In their third game LSU would quickly find themselves trailing South Carolina by 17 points. The Tigers offense was struggling to move the ball, until true freshman Caden Durham took a handoff 26 yards for a touchdown and created the spark they needed. Durham would go on to impress over and over again in this game, finishing with 98 rushing yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns. The LSU Tigers would storm back and beat South Carolina 36-33.
A Star is Born for the LSU Tigers
LSU Tigers running back, Caden Durham would show just how explosive he can be against South Alabama. Durham would rush for 128 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries. Durham would also catch three passes for 89 yards and add an additional touchdown through the air. Durham would leave this game in the first half with a foot injury and not return. He would not miss a game though, playing through the injury as the Tigers took on SEC rival Ole Miss. Durham struggled to find much room to run against Ole Miss, it’s hard to know just how much that injured foot was affecting his running style and explosive burst.
LSU fans didn’t have to wait long to see that even while not at full health, Caden Durham was a problem for opposing teams. This last Saturday, LSU would take on an SEC rival in the Arkansas Razorbacks. The LSU Tigers would dominate from start to finish, getting the victory 34-10. Caden Durham would be an essential part of the Tiger’s success, rushing for 103 yards and three touchdowns. Durham would become the first LSU true freshman since 1995 with over 100 yards rushing and at least three touchdowns in a game. Caden would also become the first in LSU history to do it against an SEC opponent.
What’s Next for the LSU Tigers?
The LSU Tigers are currently ranked No. 8 in the country, winners of six straight. They are tied for first place in the SEC with a big road test coming up. This upcoming week, LSU will travel to the home of the 12th man and take on No.14 Texas A&M. This will be a difficult environment for the Tigers to play in but expect Head Coach Brian Kelly to have this team ready to play. Kelly has been especially impressed with freshman running back Caden Durham, pointing out his great vision and toughness to play through injury. Kelly would also point out that Durham has been playing at only about 80-85% health. This begs the question, if Durham is making LSU history not at full health, just how explosive can he be when completely healthy?
The LSU Tigers have had a number of great running backs in their program’s history. The fact that Durham is a freshman and making such an impact already is a good indicator LSU fans could be looking at a superstar in the making. With NIL being a part of college football, it’s not unrealistic to think Durham could play another two or three years for the Tigers before turning pro. If Caden Durham can stay healthy and keep up his production like this, don’t be surprised to see more records broken by this explosive young back. Durham has the speed, agility, and ball carrier vision to truly become one of the most dominant running backs in college football for years to come.