Brian Kelly Has Been Pleased With An LSU Freshman RB Early
After LSU’s spring practice on Wednesday, Brian Kelly praised five-star freshman running back, Harlem Berry.
LSU’s 2025 freshman class ranked among the best in the nation and was highlighted by two five stars: DJ Pickett and Harlem Berry. The latter is a Louisiana native who has caught the eyes of the coaching staff early.
Berry was the highest-ranked running back in the 2025 class and is expected to make an impact right away for the Tigers. The freshman enters a running back room that already has Caden Durham and Kaleb Jackson, but he should be able to earn a good amount of playing time in 2025.
After Wednesday’s practice, we spoke with LSU Head Coach, Brian Kelly, for the first time since LSU put pads on this spring. He was asked about Berry and whether we should expect to see a lot of him this year. He said it’s too early to tell, but he likes some of the little things he’s done well in the first few days of practice.
“I’m pleased with some of the little things you need to see from a running back,” said Kelly. “For example, we run a lot of inside run drill, and that requires hitting it up inside and three or four yards is a good run. A touchdown was a good run in high school for him. That was the bar. You don’t know how these guys will handle that, it’s a change of his mindset. He really clearly understands the running back position and that sometimes a three to four yard run is a really good run.”
Kelly went on to further explain that on Wednesday, Berry could’ve bounced a run outside, and in high school it likely would’ve been a touchdown, but he understands that the college level is a lot faster and that sometimes he needed to just punch it up the gut and take his 3-4 yards.
“Today for example, he had a chance to maybe bounce a play (outside) where he really crammed it up inside and took the three or four yards and it was the right read. You really don’t coach those things; you either have a knack for them or you don’t, and those early indications are really positives.”
This early praise bodes well for Berry. The moment he stepped on campus, he was one of, if not the most talented running backs on LSU’s roster. He’ll likely work his way up the depth chart and end up being RB2 behind Caden Durham this season.
Be prepared to see a lot of Harlem Berry this year
