From 2014-2016, LSU football fans were privileged to watch one of the greatest players in Tiger history: Leonard Fournette. Now, nearly 10 years later, in 2023, coach Brian Kelly’s squad has a freshman running back in Kaleb Jackson, who has a very similar running style to the all-time great.
Kaleb Jackson has been a pleasant surprise for the Tiger offense
No one knew what to expect from the LSU football running back room heading into 2023. With eight backs on scholarship, there was almost too much depth.
Then, after a largely unimpressive week one, most of that concern rapidly turned into panic. Aside from quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Tigers ran the ball just 12 times for 49 yards and two touchdowns. While the two touchdowns were encouraging, the 2.4 yards per carry were not.
Once the 2023 position room began to get a bit healthier, things started to turn around, and one of the big surprises was freshman Kaleb Jackson. Through two games, he’s been impressive, carrying the ball 16 times for 81 yards and two touchdowns.
However, his performance this past week vs. Mississippi State was the most notable, as he made a play that put the entire country on notice.
On the day, he totaled just five carries and two receptions for a total of 34 yards. Still, there’s no doubt that his physical running style got fans excited for the future.
The freshman running back has a very recognizable running style for LSU football fans
Making comparisons in football is an incredibly dangerous game to play. This is even more true when it involves an all-time great. Still, when you see a freshman running back run someone over in the manner that Kaleb Jackson did last week, it’s hard not to see the similarities to Leonard Fournette.
Both run with aggression and a willingness to give and take a hit. It’s a fun style to watch and a rare one to see in our current era of college football.
It’s important to remember that Jackson is just a freshman, and he’s still very much learning the game of football. He has a long way to go before he can come anywhere close to being viewed in a similar light as former LSU football star Leonard Fournette.
Through three seasons with the Tigers, Fournette ran the ball 616 times for an incredible 3,830 yards and 40 touchdowns. Even more impressive is the fact that he was an impact player from the moment he set foot on campus.
Coach Brian Kelly is keeping expectations tame
When you’re a fan, it’s only natural to hope for the very best out of your players. However, that’s precisely why a coach is there to help keep things realistic.
Earlier this week, coach Brian Kelly spoke on the true freshman and how he’s handled things early in 2023.
“The obvious answer is physicality, explosiveness, but a young man that is still learning how to play this game. Remember now, if you look back on his high school career, he was not a four-year player even in high school. So, he’s learning how to play the game every time he steps on the field,” head coach Brian Kelly said about the stud freshman. “And he’s terrific to coach. The great part about it is he doesn’t have much baggage. He’s learning a lot about the game as we go along. We’re talking to him about some of the rules as it relates to kickoff.”
“Just teaching him the game and him learning the game is kind of where we’re at with him, but it’s easy to see the raw physical ability, but there’s so much more to that. And that’s if you, and I know you did, you watched the game closely; you saw what Diggs and Williams were able to do in third down protections against a very difficult scheme. Kaleb was not ready for that; he will get ready for that, but he’s just not there yet.”
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