In the wake of the departure of former head coach Les Miles, the two members of the LSU program who arguably benefitted the most from the move were Ed Orgeron and Derrius Guice.

The sophomore running back had his breakout performance against legitimate competition in Orgeron’s first game as the team’s interim coach as Guice put up 163 rushing yards on only 17 carries against Missouri. Guice followed that effort up by rushing for 162 yards on 16 carries the following week. Orgeron, of course, landed the full-time job at LSU after leading the team to a 5-2 regular season record. Coach O then signed a five-year deal to coach the Tigers before leading the team to a dominant 29-9 win over Louisville in the Citrus Bowl.

Despite not starting for much of the season, Guice managed to lead the SEC in rushing last season with 1,387 yards on the ground. Considering the fact he touched the ball only 10 times in three early-season games, Guice could have put up significantly higher numbers had Miles found better ways to utilize his talents.

Guice’s emergence on the national stage was quick, and according to his new head coach, LSU fans had better enjoy him while they can next season, as it’s expected to be his last campaign in college despite having two years of eligibility left to play in Baton Rouge. During his Monday morning appearance on Cole Cubelic’s radio show, Coach O stated his belief that the 2017 season will be Guice’s final season in Baton Rouge.

“He runs the ball with an attitude,” Orgeron said on the air. “He has excellent vision, he has excellent feet, has an excellent jump cut, he’ll run through you, run around you, he’ll catch the ball out of the backfield… I think he’s one of the best players in the country.”

Projected to by a first-round pick according to SDS Senior Writer John Crist, Guice is considered by many to be among the elite NFL running back prospects heading into the 2017 season. Should he avoid serious injury and continue to improve his stock, there’s little doubt what Guice will do when his opportunity to head to the NFL arrives.

The only knock some evaluators may have on Guice is his size. Don’t let his 5-foot-11, 220-pound frame fool you, though, as Coach O had an interesting comparison for the LSU back during his guest radio appearance.

“He runs the ball like Warren Sapp played defensive tackle, that’s the way I would describe him,” Orgeron continued.

Enjoy him while you can LSU fans, you’ll most likely only get one more season of Guice starting in the backfield for the Tigers before he becomes the next great LSU back to head to the NFL.