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Freshman Caden Durham seizing an opportunity

Oct 2, 2024 | 12:46 PM

By Hunt Palmer

All it takes is an opportunity.

Often times freshmen are buried on a depth chart, deprived of meaningful repetitions in practice and games. Sometimes the opportunity to play comes from a lopsided score. Sometimes it’s an injury.

In running back Caden Durham’s case, it was the latter.

LSU graduate running back John Emery tore his ACL during practice following LSU’s season-opening loss to USC. His loss meant only three scholarship running backs remained on the roster as LSU looked at 11 remaining games.

Durham had to play.

In LSU’s Week 2 game against Nicholls State he got his first opportunity. It wasn’t all that memorable.

On Durham’s first carry as a Tiger, he lined up on quarterback Garrett Nussmeier’s left in the shotgun formation. Nussmeier took the snap and tossed to Durham who took one step and was dropped for a loss of five yards.

Durham would gain nine yards on four more carries in the third quarter, never breaking free for more than four yards. Undeterred, Durham prepared for another opportunity the following week on the road at South Carolina.

With the Tigers trailing by 17 and on the brink of a blowout defeat, Durham produced a 26-yard touchdown run, bounding off Gamecock defenders and tumbling into the endzone for his first career score. It was the kick start of LSU’s ground game that had scuffled for two weeks entering the game.

The freshman added another rushing touchdown midway through the third quarter on his way to 98 yards on the ground in the comeback win.

“Early on, it was a group of players that already had some experience that he was working to leapfrog,” LSU Head Coach Brian Kelly said. “Through his play, when he was given the opportunity against South Carolina, he made it happen.”

Most anticipated Durham’s immediate impact to be creating the explosive plays he made commonplace during his prep days at Duncanville High School in the Dallas area. In his final high school game, he produced touchdown runs of 72 and 92 yards using his blazing track speed.

In Columbia he was breaking tackles at the line of scrimmage and driving through defenders using his strength and low center of gravity.

Against UCLA a week later Durham showcased his pass catching ability by hauling in a 35-yard catch and run for a touchdown to give LSU a two-score lead on the Bruins.

It wasn’t until the first play of Saturday’s game with South Alabama that Durham displayed his trademark speed. He took a swing pass 71 yards for a score on LSU’s first snap and followed that up with an 86-yard lightning bolt on the second.

All of Durham’s ballcarrying abilities were obvious to most. They made him one of the top high school backs in the 2024 class.

They aren’t, however, enough to make any running back the primary option. Pass protection is a must for running backs and takes on an elevated role in an offense like LSU’s which leads the SEC in passing attempts by 25 throws.

“He’s competent in pass protection,” Kelly said. “Competent is, he has to think about it. So, he’s just a click behind. We want it to be an unconscious competence where he just naturally does it. Kind of like (graduate running back) Josh Williams. He’s at that unconscious competence, and he knows naturally…(Durham) is working toward that level.”

Based on production, Durham has taken the lead back role. He’s led tiger tailbacks in total yardage in each of the team’s last three games.

It all started with an opportunity at South Carolina.

“He came in and did a good job and performed well for (LSU),” South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer said of Durham’s effort against his Gamecocks. “He was a big factor in those guys winning the football game that day. Looks like he’s got a big future ahead of him in Baton Rouge.”

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