LSU Football Position Change: Tigers See a Running Back Move to Quarterback Room

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers signed coveted Louisiana athlete, Ju'Juan Johnson, in the 2024 Recruiting Cycle as one of the program's headliners.

Johnson, who rewrote the history books during his prep career with Lafayette Christian (La.) as both a quarterback and defensive back, arrived in Baton Rouge as a cornerback.

But the prized Bayou State prospect's time in the secondary was short-lived after making the move to running back in September of 2024.

Before Johnson's move, the Tigers were down to three scholarship running backs on the roster in Josh Williams, Kaleb Jackson and true freshman Caden Durham following John Emery's ACL injury.

Then, the elite athlete joined a backfield that needed another piece in the mix.

Johnson is used to having the ball in his hands. He holds the Louisiana record for total yards (14,470) and total touchdowns (171) during his high school career.

Johnson was rated as a Top 10 recruit in The Boot coming out of high school in the 2024 class. Kelly has raved about the importance of locking down the state with Johnson being a key piece to the haul.

“When we talk about recruiting and where our focus is, our focus is on the state of Louisiana,” Kelly said in December. “Our focus is on freshmen and it’s on a well-rounded student-athlete that recognizes the value of an LSU degree and wants to play for championships. That will be reflected in this class.”

The goal was to always get Johnson on the field as a true freshman. During Fall Camp last August, he ran with the second-team at the STAR position. The development he had throughout his first offseason caught the coaching staff's attention.

“You can see the shift in transition towards developing our players and giving them the opportunity to grow within our program. Then, we have to put them on the field. We had some young players who had to play this year, and there’s some growing pains that come along with that. But I’m committed to that growth and that kind of development," Kelly said. "I think in the long run that proves to be the way to championships, continuity and consistencies in your program.”

But Johnson isn't done switching positions, according to LSU's updated online roster.

The sophomore athlete has made the move to the quarterback room where he joins Garrett Nussmeier, Michael Van Buren and Colin Hurley.

#LSU has updated the online roster ahead of Spring Camp next month.

One key change: RB Ju’Juan Johnson is listed as a quarterback.

Johnson rewrote the record books during his time on the prep scene as a QB/DB after logging 14,470 total yards + 171 total touchdowns. pic.twitter.com/ezgKnOZTTX
— Zack Nagy (@znagy20) February 12, 2025

The move is one that gives the program an additional body at signal-caller while Hurley recovers following an injury suffered in a car crash in January.

The Returning Pieces: Garrett Nussmeier and Colin Hurley

Garrett Nussmeier: Redshirt-Senior

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier revealed in December that he would be returning to Baton Rouge for the 2025 season with unfinished business in the purple and gold.

Nussmeier, the Tigers' starting signal-caller in 2024, will look to build off of a productive redshirt-junior campaign for the Bayou Bengals this fall.

The Lake Charles native bypassed the 2025 NFL Draft where he had the chance to be a Top-5 quarterback taken in April.

Instead, he'll return to LSU for his final season of eligibility under Brian Kelly.

It's a monumental decision for Nussmeier with the Tigers retaining their cornerstone to the program for one more season.

“This year was a huge growth year for me,” Nussmeier said after the Oklahoma game. “I said in September I hoped I would be a better player by the end of the year than I was then and I think that has proven to be true. Our team got better throughout the year and there were things we had to fix and we improved. I’m happy for us and our team and for me personally, I continued to grow my game and I look forward to continuing to do that into the offseason.”

Now, he's a name to watch for the 2025 Heisman Trophy, according to CBS Sports' Blake Brockermeyer:

"I love his gunslinger mentality and reminds me a little of Brett Favre in that regard. He has a big arm and can throw into high windows. I expect he will be surrounded by a solid supporting cast in 2025 and should put up big numbers and on big stages.”

Colin Hurley: Redshirt-Freshman

LSU quarterback Colin Hurley remains on the roster in Baton Rouge after wrapping up his true freshman campaign with the purple and gold.

After enrolling early in January at only 16 years old, Hurley utilized his first season of college getting acclimated to new scenery.

Hurley has turned heads and has proven he can sling the ball, which has given the Tigers another promising piece in the quarterback room, but his recovery will be key following a car accident in January.

The Addition: Michael Van Buren

Mississippi State transfer quarterback Michael Van Buren went public with a decision to transfer to the LSU Tigers in December after one season in Starkville. He was the starter for the Bulldogs in 2024, but after one year with the SEC program, he heads to Baton Rouge for the 2025 season.

Van Buren provides LSU with a backup quarterback that has SEC experience. In 10 appearances as a true freshman in 2024, Van Buren completed 140-of-256 passes for 1,886 yards and 11 touchdowns. He added another five rushing TDs for the Bulldogs.

"When you're looking at your entire roster, you're making an incredible investment across the board. You have to look at each position and if Garrett was to go down, you have to have somebody there," Kelly said in December. "But more importantly you have to have competition at every position. Michael is going to compete with Garrett and we wanted to bring Michael in because he's somebody who has started in the SEC."

More LSU News:

LSU Adds Commitments From Seven Top-100 Transfers in the Portal

LSU Dishes Out Offer to No. 1 Quarterback in America

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

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