Lane Kiffin absolutely knocked it out of the park with his hiring of Kevin Smith to be his running backs coach at LSU. Smith has been with Kiffin on multiple occasions at both Ole Miss and Florida Atlantic, and his development of players such as Quinshon Judkins and Kewan Lacy have LSU fans excited about the Tiger running game in 2026.
ESPN gives major props to LSU for Lane Kiffin's hiring in latest ranking
Smith is wasting no time getting to work at his new job, as he's reportedly already spent time with his top recruiting target. In his first day at LSU, Smith met with freshman star running back Harlem Berry. The former 5-star recruit put together a strong freshman campaign in 2025, and has a bright future ahead. His return could make-or-break LSU's rushing attack next season.
NEW: LSU RB coach Kevin Smith wasted no time, meeting with freshman star Harlem Berry to help solidify his return for the 2026 season in Baton Rouge 🐯🏈
— 104.5 ESPN (@1045espn) December 22, 2025
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The Kevin Smith/Harlem Berry partnership could yield great results for LSU
Getting Berry back for Year No. 2 is priority No. 1 for Smith. Berry was the No. 1 running back in the class of 2025 according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, and has shown plenty of upside throughout the 2025 season. Along with Smith, Berry and his father met with LSU general manager Billy Glasscock on Sunday evening.
Totaling 505 yards, sophomore Caden Durham was LSU's leading rusher during the regular season. But Berry wasn't far behind with 446 yards of his own. The freshman RB didn't see consistent snaps during the first half of the season, but saw most of the action in LSU's backfield down the stretch. He figures to take on a bigger role if he returns to Baton Rouge for his sophomore season.
Smith is hoping to provide some much-needed improvements to the LSU rushing attack. LSU ranked dead last in the SEC by averaging just 106.3 rushing yards per game during the 2025 regular season. Smith leading the development of Berry could be the start of a great partnership for LSU.
Nothing official has been confirmed regarding Berry's future, and seems that more conversations between Berry, Smith, and Glasscock will be needed before Berry's playing destination in 2026 is announced. Tiger fans are hopeful that Smith's history of developing elite RB talent is enticing enough for Berry to return to LSU for his sophomore season.