As we continue to dream of SEC football, we’ll look at each team and tell you who their best player is. LSU football is up next, and theirs is as easy to identify as anyone else’s.
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Each SEC football team has at least a few studs. Whether it be their middle linebacker, corner, wide receiver or quarterback, each fan base has those few guys they can point to and say “he’s that dude.” The question becomes, though, who is the best?
That hasn’t been a difficult question to answer recently for LSU football. Fans of LSU football and college football in general are familiar with names like Malachi Dupre, Jalen Mills, Kendell Beckwith and Jamal Adams. These LSU football players have been great recently, but one has stood tall above the rest.
LSU football is known for having a stable of running backs and a great defense. One running back for the Tigers has been carving his name as possibly the best ever running back for LSU football. I haven’t even said his name, yet if you even minutely watch college football — you know I’m talking about Leonard Fournette.
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For those that aren’t aware, LSU football has a proud tradition at the running back position. Names like Dalton Hilliard, Charles Alexander, Kevin Faulk and Billy Cannon (who still haunts the dreams of Ole Miss fans) all belong to the history books of LSU football. While Fournette may be the greatest modern player for LSU football, it’ll be tough for him to top Billy Cannon in the minds of most LSU football fans. He still doesn’t have a signature play on the level of Cannon’s Halloween punt return in 1959.
It’s not like the Tigers have become stale at the position, either. More recently, LSU football has sent guys like Jeremy Hill, Keiland Williams, Stevan Ridley, Jacob Hester and Joseph Addai to the NFL. These are all names that we can remember playing recently for LSU football. But are any of them as great as Leonard Fournette?
If Leonard Fournette wants to crack elite status at his position for LSU football (or RBU), he’ll have to add one of his two things to his collegiate resume this year: a Heisman or a national championship. Those will be tough to come by, but it’s not like he’s playing at a school with no history of tailback success. But back to 2016.
Leonard Fournette has some competition to the claim many put on him as the game’s best running back. Nick Chubb and Christian McCaffrey both have legitimate gripes if Fournette is named the game’s best running back. There is no such question about who the best player is for LSU football, though.
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Leonard Fournette made LSU football fans, teammates and coaches proud last year. He went for 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns on only 300 carries last year. His 253 receiving yards put him well over the elusive 2,000 mark for yards from scrimmage. And he also did it with no help from the quarterback position. It’s an outrage he didn’t get an invite to the Heisman Ceremonies last year. I hope it made him mad, though, because an angry Leonard Fournette will be scary and fun to watch.