4 LSU Football Returning Starters With the Most to Prove This Season

Lane Kiffin's first fall camp in Baton Rouge is unlike anything LSU has experienced, with nearly every position group undergoing dramatic change. The roster turnover this offseason was unlike any program has ever seen, with almost every unit featuring a new face fighting for a starting job.

But amid all the additions, a handful of holdover starters still have to earn their spots. Their offseason work means little until they prove it on the field in fall camp and beyond.

For running backs Caden Durham and Harlem Berry, linebacker Davhon Keys and offensive tackle Weston Davis, 2026 represents a chance to answer real questions about their games and their career decisions.

Each enters fall camp with a real challenge to overcome for starting time, and each will spend the next fall camp fighting to keep the job they already have.

The Crowded Running Back Room

Oct 18, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Louisiana State Tigers running back Harlem Berry (22) runs with the ball against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The biggest question for fall camp is which back between Berry and Durham will land the starting role alongside quarterback Sam Leavitt.

Berry has momentum after a strong finish to 2025, closing out the year as LSU's primary starter over the final six games. Durham, though, still carries the pedigree of his freshman season and enters camp looking to reclaim the lead role he once held.

Adding to the battle is Wisconsin transfer Dilin Jones, who arrives after taking significant first-team reps this spring and figures to be another factor in the backfield mix.

LSU's rushing attack ranked last in the SEC in yards per game a season ago, despite having both Berry and Durham on the roster. That underwhelming production casts doubt on whether either back can be the lead this season. Instead, both need to show they can be the workhorse Kiffin's offense requires.

The Overflow of Talent at Linebacker

Nov 30, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Jacob Jordan (88) is chased down by LSU Tigers linebacker Davhon Keys (42) during the fourth quarter at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Keys enters 2026 as one of the established names in LSU's linebacker room, but that hardly guarantees him a clean path to the field. He currently sits among the top options at the position alongside Whit Weeks and TJ Dottery, a group deep enough that snaps for anyone outside that trio are hard to come by.

The depth LSU has this season is both good and bad for Keys.

Being grouped with two of the country's most established, well-regarded linebackers raises the bar for what he must show during camp and on the field to keep his spot secure. At the same time, it takes away chances for him to shine.

Every play, Keys will have to prove he is at the same level as two of college football's premier linebackers.

An Offensive Line Shuffle

Few returning starters face more scrutiny than Weston Davis.

LSU's offensive line ranked as the worst rushing unit in the SEC, with Davis and center Braelin Moore as the returning starters expected to help fix last year's most agonizing problem.

Davis started ten games in 2025 but struggled throughout the year at right tackle. He's considered the likely favorite to retain the job, but Brysten Martinez was using his early-enrollee spring practice window to try to earn himself some minutes as a freshman.

Coaches have publicly backed Davis, with Kiffin arguing that last year's struggles have actually helped Davis mature as a player. Still, he'll have to battle just to prove that he's not the weakest link along LSU's rebuilt front.

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