LSU running back John Emery Jr., who entered the NCAA transfer portal during April's spring window, is expected to withdraw and return to the Tigers, 247Sports' Matt Zenitz reports. A former five-star and top-15 prospect nationally, Emery's return is a boon for an LSU running back room short on depth.
Without Emery, LSU would have entered the 2024 season with just four scholarship running backs on the roster and one of those -- redshirt freshman Trey Holly -- is dealing with legal issues that could keep him sidelined for the season. This was after the team lost leading running back and versatile threat Logan Diggs to the transfer portal.
That left the Tigers with Josh Williams and Kaleb Jackson as their returning backs. Those two combined for 86 carries for 449 yards and nine touchdowns in 2023. Highly ranked freshman Caden Durham, 247Sports' No. 6 running back in the class of 2024, was going to, and likely still will, feature heavily in LSU's plans out of the backfield.
Emery was the No. 1 running back in the 2019 class but has yet to live up to that lofty billing. Still, his SEC experience will benefit the Tigers and give the staff another option in the rotation. Emery rushed 23 times for 121 yards and a touchdown in seven games last season before an ACL tear against Florida cut his year short.
He missed the entire 2021 campaign and was suspended for the first two games of 2022 due to academic ineligibility. For his career, the now graduate senior has rushed 213 times for 1,062 yards and 14 touchdowns.
