KEVIN SMITH'S 2026 LSU RUNNING BACK ROOM
- Lonn Phillips Sullivan
- May 4
- 5 min read
Updated: May 8
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by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
When attempting to launch LSU's running game back to its rampaging, formidable, furiously physical glory, in 2026, Running Backs Coach Kevin Smith will be able to call upon a variety of profiles to make it happen....all within Lane Kiffin's offensive structure that's historically generated solid to elite running game totals:
Well, how do you take LSU's recently pitiful rushing woes, assert / install the Kiffin/Weis/Smith mindset & framework, and return LSU back to its former ground game glory?
You start from scratch and evaluate everyone anew:
From the stately athleticism and all around finesse game of Caden Durham and Harlem Berry, or former Wisconsin Badger Dilon Jones' thunder and lightning combo, the under the radar Rod Gainey Jr and Raycine Guillory, while Stacey Gage may just be the surprise standout of the room, Kevin Smith's 2026 unit have variety, physicality, versatility, a good mix of veterans, established youth, returning Tigers, new blood transfers, and speed, speed, speed and more speed.
Let's go through the headline backs and see who will take the reins, who will compete for RB1 or RB2, what kind of rotation will be used, and what qualities each back offers:
Over his 2 seasons at LSU (making a Freshman All-SEC squad & a Maxwell watch list ahead of Year 2), junior Caden Durham devolved from superstar freshman into sophomore slump, but still posted room-leading production: 1,258 total rushing yards (753 as a freshman), 9 rushing scores (7 in Year 1), 44 catches, 351 receiving yards, and 2 receiving scores.
All things appeared like Durham was a superstar in the making for LSU in 2024 and the first few weeks of 2025, performing at a high octane echelon against upper crust competition; However, the Texas native track champion battled injury woes throughout both seasons while dipping his toes into the transfer portal only months ago.
Durham's return to the team, knowing he faced stiffer competition, is a bright sign, but he didn't excite or explode for much of Spring Camp, mostly holding serve for small chunks and a random busted gain until turning it on for a string of practices.....once again, a player with a mountain of potential...but will his past production make him an automatic pick for RB1???
I don't think so.
A familiar fan favorite who also came back for 2026, the swift, agile Harlem Berry had an impressive freshman campaign when utilized, breaking off 491 yards on 101 carries, 2 rushing scores, and exhibited his usual high levels of play during Spring Camp.
The former 5 star is also a prime candidate for RB1, becoming a more physical presence during Spring, packing on 13+ pounds in winter workouts, and seeming to continue right where he left off last fall....
....and if we remember, Harlem Berry was playing in perhaps the worst ever LSU offense, running behind the worst ever LSU offensive line, and was only a freshman.....in 2026, receiving touches in a Kiffin/Weis offense, Berry could hit the limitless line.
Receiving public praise from Head Coach Lane Kiffin, Dilin Jones transferred from Wisconsin with limited experience and reps, just 388 yards, 92 attempts and 2 rushing touchdowns across 2 seasons as a Badger, but it's his veteran work ethic, upgraded physique, knack for making defenders miss tackles & a bloodborn home run hitting potential that make him a strong candidate for RB1.
Rod Gainey Jr registered 294 yards and a single score over 2 seasons at Charlotte, showcasing a shifty, evasive quality inside the hole when wearing a purple and gold jersey this Spring.
Through 10 games over 2 seasons at UCF, Stacy Gage recorded 63 yards, a single rushing score in very few snaps and a mere 13 attempts, yet he's been a wily wild card in Spring, rattling off maximum gains from few touches (53 yards on 3 carries in a recent scrimmage) and could be a fantastic addition.
Okay....taking all of it in, you can see there is a lack of true SEC dogfight experience and on field production in Coach Kevin Smith's 2026 RBs unit: Both Durham and Berry remain the two most fed, played and featured backs inside the room....
There is an unknown aspect to LSU's 2026 running backs....the players pop on the practice field, they've developed some explosive plays, and yet this collection of backs should still make Tiger fans feel a mixture of optimistic excitement, dramamine apprehension, and orgasmic vomiting:
Only 1 single LSU running back reached 1,000 yards since Clyde Edwards-Helaire's epic 2019 campaign, even when rushing behind a top 5 pick at offensive tackle for 3 of those 7 seasons, alongside an offensive line full of NFL Draftees....
But now, the new staff's coaching track record may make the difference and provide a changing of the guard for LSU's rushing game:
Lane Kiffin's offenses historically deliver a potent, swarming, all-encompassing rushing attack that batters, burns, gashes, and distorts an opponent's senses (featuring Kevin Smith as his running backs coach for most of his tenures), never ranking lower than #73, while placing inside the top 15 rushing offenses in 6 seasons, averaging over 200 yards in 9 different campaigns at 4 different schools, and eclipsing 200 yards per season across 6 of his last 10 years coaching....
....now that's production....
For a stark, contrasting comparison, LSU rushed for just 104 yards on average per game in 2025 and 114 the year prior......meanwhile, only 2 offenses in Lane Kiffin's entire career landed anywhere near that total (128 in 2006 USC and 157 when he was at Tennessee in 2009).
If anything, whether you have reservations about LSU's ability to run the ball in 2026, you'd have to agree this running back room contains a massive depth upgrade from last fall.
We've already seen the embryonic seeds of a quickfire, no huddle, flexible RPO running game being planted, although there are rough edges to smooth out, physical conditioning that needs sharpening (for both backs and offensive linemen) as well as personnel roles that require evaluation.
There hasn't been a "main man" to step up and take over the RB1 job just yet, there's also a lack of full offensive line connection or cohesion, and an overall inability to fully gel against Baker's staunch defensive front, creating a few questions heading into summer & Fall Camp....
One last thing:
The legs of starting quarterback Sam Leavitt will also help this rushing game fully take flight...wearing, tearing, gnashing as well as gashing defenses from all corners of the field, ultimately assisting Kevin Smith's running backs to greater glory.
Under this playcalling system, featuring an up tempo offensive attack, bolstered running back room depth, and an offensive staff who possess a top tier track record of consistent difference-making & voluminous ground production, these factors make me believe 2026 is the best chance LSU have experienced since 2019 to reclaim their championship-made rushing roots.....
....championship roots that were planted deep in the black and white (or gray) days of the mythical Billy Cannon, sealed during the glory spree of Charles Alexander, turned into geometric athletic art by Dalton Hilliard, taken to another level of pedigree & excellence during the Kevin Faulk era, followed by early 2000s title-winning greatness from Justin Vincent, Joseph Addai, and Alley Broussard, then Jacob Hester's clutch championship grit & pulse carried the torch forward, before LSU Running Backs became an institution of "higher earning" and record setting dominance with the likes of Leonard Fournette, Derrius Guice, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire....
See, even just a peek of evidence and you understand LSU have a tradition of not only running the football, but spotting the ball, flying up to the line, and ramming seven tons of human lumber, galloping legs, and mentality victories down opponents' gaping throats...and at all costs, that tradition must be re-established.
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
©️ 2026 Uninterrupted Writings Inc
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