LSU Getting Most Out of "Thunder and Lightning" Running Back Room in Fall Camp
The depth of the running back position continues to become more and more evident as true freshmen Corey Kiner and Armoni Goodwin show out during fall camp. With Tyrion Davis-Price and John Emery looking to carry most of the load this season, the two freshmen standouts have the opportunity to learn from the savvy veterans.
The growth of Emery this offseason has been a bright spot for the Tigers as he looks to have a breakout year in Death Valley. Whether it be using his quick, twitchy movements to shake defenders at the line of scrimmage or use his pure speed out of the backfield, Emery has shown significant improvement this offseason.
"John (Emery)'s done a great job,” LSU quarterback Max Johnson said. “Just getting open on switch routes, even six-man protections, done a good job of picking up extra guys that have come or have gotten loose.”
With Davis-Price out with a “minor camp injury,” the attention has been shifted to Emery to take the RB1 snaps, getting tremendous praise from Johnson and Ed Orgeron. A part of Emery’s game that needed improvement was his ability to become more versatile in the receiving game where Johnson has spotted significant growth.
"John's done a great job of reading the leverage of the linebackers,” Johnson said. “He meets with coach Faulk all the time, just figuring out the plays and how to get open whether it's stacking linebackers or cutting in front of them or how to get open on choice routes, he's done a great job with that. He works on it after practice as well."
Once Emery gets comfortable and continues his growth on the field, his time to shine will be immediate. An electrifying player with the ball in his hands, it’s only a matter of time until he takes the country by storm.
A pleasant surprise for the Tigers has been the readiness of true freshmen Kiner and Goodwin, who have both been standouts throughout fall camp thus far.
Coined “thunder and lightning,” the one-two punch of the dynamic freshmen has this offense excited to see what they can bring to the table come the regular season.
"Armoni and Corey, we call them thunder and lightning,” Johnson said. “They're roommates, they do everything together and they're both studs. Corey and Armoni both had great days on Saturday."
A running back room that can seemingly go four deep any given Saturday provides the Tigers with an overload of talent at a position that struggled a season ago. As the offensive line continues gelling together throughout fall camp, this running back room has the chance to be special.
“Our running back room is very talented,” said offensive lineman Ed Ingram. “That’s something we don’t have to worry about. The biggest thing we have to worry about is being consistent in the offensive line.”
As the dynamic freshmen continue developing under the savvy veterans in the running back room, this unit looks to keep defenses on their toes all season long. With Davis-Price looking to bounce back after his minor injury and Emery beginning to break out of his shell, this LSU backfield is set to show out in Death Valley this fall.
