By KACE KIESCHNICK, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
LSU running back Harlem Berry may not have had the start to the 2026 season he envisioned when he decided to remain a Tiger after the coaches who recruited him were fired after the 2025 season.
But he made up for lost time with a career night in game five against McNeese State in the No. 11 Tigers’ 63-14 blowout of the FCS Cowboys (2-4, 1-2 Southland Conference) Saturday night at Tiger Stadium. The sophomore from New Orleans set a career high with 125 yards on 15 carries and added his first touchdown of the season.
“I’m really proud of him,” coach Lane Kiffin said. “Proud of how things happen in our program – that you just don’t get handed things. And sometimes you get demoted, and you’ve got to earn them. And he’s done a really good job of that.”
After breaking out as one of LSU’s leading rushers during his true freshman campaign, the former five-star prospect out of St. Martin’s Episcopal High in Metairie was ousted to third-string status this season as transfer Dilin Jones won the starting job and transfer Stacy Gage took the backup spot.
Berry had finished last season strong with 104 carries for 491 yards and two touchdowns, which was good enough for the second-highest rushing mark on the team. But Kiffin said he evaluates his depth chart with a clean slate.
“People don’t play here by how many stars they are, what their contract is, or where they’re from,” Kiffin said during August camp.
Berry said after his big night against the Cowboys that his demotion did not deter him.
“I just battled through adversity,” he said. “Praying to God, keep my head down, keep working hard, getting on special teams, working at practice until my opportunity was there, and then it was just able to present itself.”
Berry earned the No. 2 job behind Jones last week against Texas A&M as he gained 58 yards on seven carries in the Tigers’ 35-6 win. He was again the second running back to get into the game against the Cowboys, but keeping his expanded role did not mean the work was finished.
“I believe in my talents, the things God gifted me with,” Berry said. “My opportunity gets shown and gets presented – just take full advantage of it.”
Berry will look to grow as a change-of-pace back next to Jones’ more physical running style.
“I’m an elusive, fast, two-type back,” he said. “Dilin got that in his bag too. I have a little bit of a pop. Dilin is a physical, downhill runner. So just being able to play off each other is good.”
Berry put his elusiveness and speed on full display against McNeese. He made several would-be tacklers miss with jukes in the open field and rattled off a 46-yard run on the Tigers’ final drive of the first half. He also outpaced the Cowboys’ defense on an 11-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that bolstered the LSU lead to 49-0.
But it was not his explosiveness that Kiffin was most complimentary of after the game. Coming out of a Class 1A high school, Berry lacked experience against elite competition. His limitations as a pass blocker and decision making as a runner were factors in his fall on the depth chart. But Kiffin said he has changed since the spring.
“I think getting vertical in the run game, not trying to bounce everything,” Kiffin said of Berry’s biggest improvement. “You saw him today really take what was there and get vertical, which is a normal transition, especially for a young running back and maybe coming from a lower level, where you can just bounce everything and outrun everybody.”
Berry agreed.
“That was an adjustment from high school, just making all those unnecessary cuts,” he said. “Just make one cut, get vertical, try to get north, try to get to the end zone.”
With more college experience and the lessons learned form battling through adversity and from his coaches, Berry is looking to run north more and stay north on the depth chart as LSU enters the critical part of its season.
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