LSU Tigers land a commitment from Harlem Berry, the No. 1 RB in the country

The top-ranked running back in the country is staying home to play his college football.

Harlem Berry, the No. 9 player in the country in the Class of 2025 out of Metairie (La.) St. Martin’s, gave the in-state LSU Tigers an early commitment. The elite back from The Boot picked LSU over Texas, Georgia, Florida and USC, among others.

Brian Kelly and Frank Wilson were early to jump on the speedy running back from New Orleans offering him at camp last June. Berry has explored schools elsewhere in the SEC and across the South but continues to find his way back to Baton Rouge, where he has been a priority for this entire LSU coaching staff.

“Coach Kelly calls me the best running back, the best in the state, and he’s very complimentary. Everything he talks about — how he wants to use, the energy he gives — it’s very complimentary,” Berry told On3.

“It makes me feel like if I go there, they’d play me and I would excel on the team,” he continued. “There’s no place like home.”

The prolific playmaker has been an unsolvable force for Class 1A St. Martin’s in South Louisiana since his freshman season. As a sophomore, Berry piled up more than 1,500 yards rushing with 40 total touchdowns en route to leading his team to the state semifinals for the first time in program history.

The elite 2025 RB has been equally, if not more dangerous more than midway through his junior season.

Berry grew up hoping to tote the rock inside of Tiger Stadium.

“It’s the home-state school, the school I looked up to as a kid,” Berry told On3. “I’ve been there a ton. It’s home. The coaches just know me up there and I love it … The environment out there is beautiful. They’ve put a lot of people in the NFL. That’s something to look at. If I get up there, I could be another who goes to the NFL and the Hall of Fame.”

“They’ve got good guys up there, great coaches, great fans, a great environment. I love it up there,” he continued. “Coach Frank, that’s a great guy, a great mentor, and I’ve learned. a lot from him already. He gets on me when I’m messing up and helps me get through it.”

Wilson, LSU’s associate head coach who also oversees the RB position, has spearheaded Berry’s recruitment since the jump. He played the same role recruiting many of Berry’s role models before him.

“I loved Leonard Fournette, Tyrann Mathieu, Odell (Beckham), Jarvis (Landry) … all those guys, I grew up watching their highlights,” said Berry, the No. 1 overall player in Louisiana’s 2025 class.