Caden Durham Still Questionable For Ole Miss – Could Be Upgraded or Downgraded By Kickoff

By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

One of LSU’s best weapons – running back Caden Durham – is questionable for LSU’s game at Ole Miss Saturday, but his status could improve by the end of the week. Or, it could worsen.

“We’ll see how he progresses through practice each and every day, so it could go from questionable to out or questionable to probable, depending on how he moves through the remainder of practices,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said Wednesday on the Southeastern Conference teleconference.

The last time LSU went to Ole Miss, the Rebels basically put The Grove in the end zone and partied to a 55-49 win as LSU allowed a school record 706 yards. This year, “We bring a defense with us,” Brian Kelly said.https://t.co/jb9n3NCfEI

— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) September 23, 2025

Durham, a sophomore returning starter, leads LSU with 213 yards on 52 carries this season through four games and has eight catches for 39 yards. The No. 4 Tigers (4-0, 1-0 SEC) play at No. 13 Ole Miss (4-0, 2-0 SEC) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC.

Durham led LSU in rushing last season 753 yards on 140 carries in 12 games. He gained 37 yards on 12 rushes and caught three passes for 11 yards in the 29-26 overtime win over Ole Miss last season.

Former LSU great Anthony “Booger”McFarland @ESPNBooger explains his nickname that became a name and talks LSU at Ole Miss on Tiger Rag Radio:https://t.co/oxcxukHVrf

— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) September 24, 2025

Kelly’s decision to play or sit Durham may not come until Friday or game day.

“We won’t make those assessments until we see the full body of work,” Kelly said.

Durham gained 17 yards on seven carries with three catches for seven yards in the 56-10 win over Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday before injuring his ankle in the second quarter and not returning to the game.

Arch Manning will become the 3rd Manning to play at LSU in 2026 as Texas visits Tiger Stadium for 1st time since 1953. In 2027, LSU-Bama won’t meet in a regular season for 1st time since 1963. https://t.co/B7gCDrozW2

— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) September 24, 2025

BRIAN KELLY ON NEW SEC SCHEDULE

Kelly spoke about the new nine-game SEC schedule for 2026-29 announced on Tuesday night that leaves room for possible changes after the fourth year.

He was asked if he thought the revisit after four years is “a recognition that maybe it won’t work out exactly the way they planned the first time,” or if that is to leave room for flexibility?

“I don’t look into it that deeply, like, ‘Hey, we’re only going to do four years, because this thing’s a mess,” Kelly laughed. “They spent a lot of time on this. I think they looked at every possible scenario here to come up with equity and fairness within the schedule. I think it’s the ever-changing landscape of college football that says, ‘We should be a little bit shorter than longer when we put schedules together.'”

Kelly particularly likes that under the new format with three annual opponents, SEC teams will still play each of the other 12 non-annual opponents in the 16-team league once every two years and play each of those 12 teams home and away over four years.

“From the very beginning, this was about everybody playing everybody within a four-year period home and away,” he said. “You’re going to pull some of those natural rivalries (LSU-Alabama and LSU-Florida, for example, are no longer annual under the new format after they were for decades.). “But you’re not losing them for a long period of time, quite frankly. I’m excited about the schedule.”