LSU names new starting running back vs. Texas A&M

LSU will start five-star freshman Harlem Berry on Saturday night against Texas A&M, per Matt Mascona of ESPN Radio, shaking up the starting lineup. Sophomore running back Caden Durham had started every game this year while healthy, but coming off the ankle injury early in the season, Durham has lacked the burst that made him a top ten back in the 2024 class.

Now, Berry will get the nod and should get more snaps and carries in this must-win spot for the Tigers. LSU’s offense has been one of the worst rushing attacks in the SEC, but against Vanderbilt, Berry had 11 carries for 55 yards to give the Tigers more balance than they’ve had all season.

Early in the year, Berry had a learning curve that had him behind Durham and Ju’Juan Johnson, but now he’s emerged into a reliable back LSU needs. A quick back from New Orleans, Berry has elite receiving traits and playmaking ability that has flashed this year.

“We think he’s going to have to play for us this year, but there’s a bit of a transition there in terms of learning the physicality that comes with playing here,” Kelly said earlier this season.

The Bengal Tigers’ Shea Dixon wrote that Berry was a player LSU needed to get more involved after his strong performance against Vanderbilt and it seems the Tigers will feature him tonight.

“Time to get the true freshmen discussion rolling on these next few… Berry was in on just 18 of LSU’s 53 plays on offense in the loss to Vanderbilt, but he consistently moved the ball forward and showed great patience and vision on a day when the former 5-star and No. 1 running back prospect on Rivals carried the ball a career-high 11 times for 55 yards. With his longest run going for 10 yards, it was as close to a legitimate five yards per carry as you’ll see on a stat sheet. Case in point: starting running back Caden Durham got 23 snaps in Nashville and carried the ball seven times for 59 yards – but the numbers were boosted by a 51-yard run. The offensive line has been the biggest reason LSU has not found success in the run game this season, so this isn’t a knock on Durham or the room as a whole. Instead, it’s pointing to a true freshman who has proven he can get hot against SEC defenses. My guess is running backs coach Wilson won’t shy away from putting Berry into the mix more each week, and a backfield that once looked like it belonged mostly to Durham could see the snaps for each split more evenly … with a chance Berry gets the most running back snaps this weekend in Death Valley” – Shea Dixon