With 2024 fall camp preparing to get started for coach Brian Kelly and the Tigers, LSU running back Kaleb Jackson is particularly turning heads after adding some impressive weight gains throughout the offseason.
LSU running back Kaleb Jackson puts on impressive muscle gains ahead of 2024 season
When LSU running back Kaleb Jackson came in as a freshman weighing 200 pounds, he already looked like a man amongst boys when lined up against SEC competition last season.
As a matter of fact, the class of 2023 four-star first went viral after quite literally running over a Mississippi State defender, showing the world just how physically dominant he could be in the future.
However, that 6-foot, 200-pound frame was clearly just the beginning, and after one year of college-level conditioning, he’s now looking primed to be even more impressive in 2024 for his sophomore season.
According to the official LSU football roster, Jackson is now listed at 235 pounds, making him the heaviest running back for the purple and gold by over 10 pounds.
Breakout year on the way for the sophomore?
Having appeared in 13 games as a true freshman in 2023, the Baton Rouge, LA, product saw time at both running back and kick returner. Using his combination of speed, agility and impressive power, he quickly found himself capable of making an early impact, rushing for 165 yards and four touchdowns while adding six receptions for 53 yards through the air and 10 kick returns for 189 yards on special teams.
Now, as we look ahead to his true sophomore season, the expectations are quickly rising, especially when considering he’s now found himself as one of the most experienced ball carriers on roster, behind seniors Josh Williams and John Emery Jr.
In turn, with that experience comes an increased level of trust from the coaching staff, which should immediately translate to more snaps on the football field.
Jackson is the currently projected second-string running back, while Williams, who has multiple years of starting experience is the most likely to hold onto the role while he’s still with the purple and gold.
Even so, backup running back isn’t exactly a bad spot to be, especially when considering that the position should prove to be far more productive than each of the past two seasons. This is due in large part to the loss of 2023 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Jayden Daniels, who accounted for 2,019 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground in his two seasons with the program, while running backs combined for a total of 3,166 yards and 50 touchdowns in that same stretch.
While it’s hard to say exactly how much of a jump we can expect from the talented sophomore in 2024, it’s not hard to see the work that he’s at least put in throughout the offseason. For now, it’s just a matter of fitting all the pieces together, and if Jackson can do that, it’s pretty safe to say that a breakout season very well could, and should be on the way for the Louisiana ball carrier.
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