John Emery

Emery came to LSU amid much fanfare last year, but the backfield was crowded behind starter Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who shined as the Tigers roared to the National Title. Emery had just 39 carries for 188 yards as a freshman, though he did score four times on the ground. Edwards-Helaire has moved on to greener pastures, and Lanard Fournette left school, but Chris Curry and Tyrion Davis-Price still remain as competition for Emery. Curry had 38 carries last year, while Davis-Price had 64 and six touchdowns. Perhaps which back emerges as the best pass catcher out of the backfield will go a long way towards determining who sees the majority of the touches, as the aforementioned Edwards-Helaire registered 55 receptions in 2019.

There’s some risk in putting this much stock in a player who hasn’t played a down in college, but when it’s a player of Emery’s talent heading into a situation like LSU’s, it’s worth it. Emery is regarded as the second-best back in the 2019 class with a blend of power and explosiveness. The situation couldn’t be better, either; 2018 leading rusher Nick Brossette is gone and Clyde Edwards-Helaire is a middling talent who averaged just 4.5 YPC. Emery is the most talented back on the roster and has a legitimate shot at setting the LSU freshman rushing record.