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Regardless of recruiting this year, LSU’s running back corps is in pretty good shape. When Leonard Fournette is holding down a role lining up behind the quarterback for another two years, there’s not a lot to worry about. That hasn’t stopped LSU from bringing in more depth for 2015.
The Tigers have two four-star running backs ready to pick up where graduating seniors Kenny Hilliard and Terrence Magee left off this year. Nick Brossette and Derrius Guice, both Baton Rouge products, restock an LSU backfield that should be able to keep up its production from a year ago.
Brossette has been scouted as well-balanced running back; not the fastest or strongest but one that doesn’t go down easily. Guice should be a load at the college level, already measuring at 5-foot-11 and 219 lbs. They’ll be filling in for Hilliard, a power runner, and Magee, a shiftier threat out of the backfield.
While the Tigers should mature at every other position, they’ll be far younger at running back in 2015 than they were in 2014. While that would be a concern for most run-heavy teams, it shouldn’t be an issue for LSU. Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has already talked this offseason about wanting to get the ball to Fournette 20 times per game, something he did in the final game of the regular season.
While he’ll only be a sophomore in 2015, Fournette already has the size and strength to handle a full workload. As the season went along, he developed patience behind a gelling offensive line while also flashing good hands out of the backfield. He’ll be complemented by Darrel Williams, another freshman in 2014 who provided some punch around the goal line and in short-yardage situations.
Guice and Brossette should be counted to fill in the gaps around those two. Fournette, Williams, Hilliard and Magee were the only four backs to get carries for the Tigers in 2014, so there should be plenty of handoffs available for the two incoming freshman.
On top of their running back haul, LSU is bringing in a four-star fullback to pave the way for them. The Tigers are one of the few teams that still deploy a fullback in normal situations, and with Connor Neighbors graduating there’s a need for some new blood at the position. In comes David Ducre, the top-rated fullback in the country. Scouts have him pegged as a strong runner and blocker, giving LSU yet another short-yardage option.
Even with a drop off in experience coming next year, LSU will be able to clobber teams in the running game. Fournette guarantees that, and the incoming recruits make it an even surer bet.
A former freelance journalist from Philadelphia, Brett has made the trek down to SEC country to cover the greatest conference in college football.
