LSU football recruiting: Tigers could be losing ground for elite four-star RB

Over the years, the Tigers have widely been known for their running back play on offense. Names like Leonard Fournette and Kevin Faulk come to mind, showing just how elite they’ve been at the position. That was the past, though, and now the LSU football recruiting is focused on the class of 2024. Unfortunately for fans of the program, they seem to be losing ground for four-star running back Caden Durham following an official visit to Oklahoma.

LSU football recruiting: The Tigers are battling Oklahoma for four-star Caden Durham

Not too long ago, LSU football was making significant progress for four-star running back Caden Durham. The class of 2024 star visited Baton Rouge in mid-April and seemed to enjoy himself.

While Oklahoma has been the favorite to land him for most of his recruitment, the Tigers appeared to be making up some ground.

That was until Durham made an official visit to Oklahoma this past weekend. Now, things seem to be trending in the wrong direction for LSU football.

Loved it🤞🏾@DeMarcoMurray @CoachVenables pic.twitter.com/vRbqN80pE6

— Caden Durham (@CadenDurham29) June 19, 2023

For Brian Kelly, this isn’t ideal news, but things could change in a major way going forward. Often, recruitments can change in a significant way throughout the football season.

Depending on how Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners do in 2023, LSU football could quickly get back into it.

Durham is the No. 1 running back target for the Tigers

As things stand now, ON3 gives LSU football a 28.4 percent chance at landing Durham. This significantly trails Oklahoma, as they have a 67.5 percent chance to land his commitment.

Oklahoma is trending with 4-star RB Caden Durham after his official visit this weekend, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine📈

Intel from @samspiegs (On3+): https://t.co/0g25AgmKqU pic.twitter.com/GlTQsWLazJ

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) June 19, 2023

Still, as I mentioned, not all is lost for the Tigers. The No. 101 player in the class of 2024 (per 247 Sports) is still LSU football’s top priority at running back.

For many prospects, this can go a long way, especially with a coach as elite as Brian Kelly. Regarding offense, Kelly is widely known for his ability to coach offensive line, tight end and running back play.

There’s a long way still to go in the class of 2024 recruiting cycle, and Durham has many of the best teams in the country recruiting him. It’s hard to imagine he’ll jump to a conclusion on his college choice too quickly.

Along with football, Durham is a track star, clocking a 10.70-second 100-meter dash in 2022. He’s an elite talent with even better speed that just about any team in the country would be thrilled to have on their team.

For now, Oklahoma is the team to beat for Durham’s talents. If LSU football wants to get back in the race, coach Kelly must act fast before the Sooners seal the deal.

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