Brian Kelly discusses RB Harlem Berry, desire for more ‘physicality’ from freshman
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Brian Kelly will have one of the top recruits in the state of Louisiana — and the entire country — on the LSU sideline in 2025 in Metairie native Harlem Berry.
Berry, the top running back in the class of 2025, was Kelly’s second-best recruit of the cycle and was ranked No. 33 nationally by 247Sports’ composite ratings. Per Kelly, there’s a strong chance he’ll see the field right away.
That said, it sounds like there’s some work to be done for Berry before he can be the running back Kelly and his coaching staff hopes he can be.
“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 on Tuesday, according to The Advocate’s Wilson Alexander.
Despite losing Josh Williams to the NFL and oft-injured John Emery Jr. to the transfer portal, LSU’s running back room in 2025 includes top returning rusher Caden Durham (753 yards, 6 touchdowns) and Kaleb Jackson.
Berry certainly has the opportunity to work himself into that rotation as a true freshman, but that’s not without preparing himself for the rigors of the college game that don’t exist in high school.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
