LSU loses former 5-star running back for remainder of season

Former five star running back John Emery Jr. is expected to miss the rest of the season for the LSU Tigers. LSU head coach Ed Orgeron announced Emery’s status in a press conference on Monday. Emery will reportedly be out for the year due to academic reasons.

“Right now, he’s unavailable,” Orgeron said to reporters. “Now things can change. If they do change, we’ll play him. Could they change? Yeah. But that’s out of my control.”

In two seasons at LSU, Emery has averaged five yards per carry, rushing for 566 yards on 114 attempts along with seven touchdowns.

Emery’s status changed right before LSU’s game against UCLA

Orgeron said ahead of this weekend’s game against McNeese State that he didn’t know that Emery would be unavailable until the day before LSU took on UCLA. LSU athletic department spokesman Cody Worsham confirmed last week that Emery’s absence was due to academic reasons.

Emery was a former five-star prospect coming out of high school. As a senior at Destrehan High School in Louisiana, Emery rushed for 1,693 yards and 26 touchdowns, leading his team to the 5A state semifinals.

As a freshman in 2019, Emery sat behind multiple running backs on the depth chart, including current Kansas City Chiefs starter Clyde Edwards-Helaire. During LSU’s 2019 National Championship run, where the Tigers were undefeated, Emery rushed for 188 yards and four touchdowns.

Emery would have provided a needed boost to LSU’s rushing attack

In LSU’s season opening loss to UCLA, the Tigers rushed for just 49 yards on 25 carries, a less than impressive two yards per carry. Tyrion Davis-Price received 13 carries, but he totaled just 31 yards.

LSU’s rushing attack improved slightly against McNeese in week two, but still averaged just 3.5 yards per carry. Corey Kiner led the rushing attack in week two with 11 carries, 56 yards, and a touchdown.

Orgeron expects running back Kevontre Bradford to be available for LSU soon. Bradford transferred to Oklahoma in June after one season at LSU. In August, Bradford re-entered the portal, and he eventually found his way back to LSU. In his lone season in Baton Rouge as a freshman last season, Bradford appeared in five games and rushed 10 times for 58 yards with a touchdown reception.

Quarterback Max Johnson is excited to see Bradford re-join the Tigers’ offense.

“I think he’s a great runner, he sees the holes,” Johnson said, “He’s actually a really good pass catcher as well. I think he brings great energy.We’re all looking forward to having him back. I think it creates more depth for our running back room.”