No. 1 Running Back in America Believes Lane Kiffin Will Do Special Things at LSU

McKeesport (Penn.) five-star running back Kemon Spell remains one of the most coveted prospects in the 2027 Recruiting Cycle with a myriad of schools in the race for his services.

Spell, the No. 1 running back in America, revealed a commitment to the Penn State Nittany Lions in August [2024] following an unofficial visit to campus, but following the news of James Franklin being relieved of his duties, the five-star elected to reopen his process.

“Coach Franklin played a huge role in my recruitment and me being committed,” Spell told Rivals when asked about the situation. “Just sucks to see him leave.”

Since backing off of his commitment, Spell has become the hottest name on the market with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Nebraska Cornhuskers, and Oregon Ducks, among others, entering the race.

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin and his former Ole Miss staff extended an offer to Spell this fall where the Tigers could now look to get in on the action with Kiffin leading the program in Baton Rouge.

LSU Tigers Football: Kemon Spell. — Courtesy of Kemon Spell's Instagram.

The 5-foot-10, 210-pounder took multiple visits during the fall where he's now revealed a Top-5 schools with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Miami Hurricanes, USC Trojans, Georgia Bulldogs, and Ohio State Buckeyes in the mix.

But Spell has his eye on LSU with Kiffin at the helm after recently telling TigerBait.com that he believes, "Kiffin is going to do some special things at LSU."

Five-star RB Spell, 'Coach Kiffin is going to do some special things at LSU'

With the 2026 class in the books, it’s time for new #LSU head coach Lane Kiffin @Lane_Kiffin to hit the ground running with his first recruiting class in Baton Rouge.

THE STORY ➡️… pic.twitter.com/fWpuOcSi3f
— Mike Scarborough (@ScarboroughMike) December 9, 2025

Spell has cruised up the recruiting rankings with multiple evaluators providing lofty praise for the No. 1 running back in America.

“I loved Kemon Spell’s sophomore film,” said Rivals National Scouting Director Charles Power. “It’s a continuation of what we liked with him when we made our watchlist before the season. I think he’s outstanding at breaking tackles.

"He’s really tough to bring down. I love the base and balance he plays with. He spins off tackles regularly. It’s rare to see the first defender bring him down. He’s very efficient, too. Going into the playoffs, I believe he was over 11 yards per carry and played both ways. So, you love to see that.

“He’s a great football player. I think when you look at the running back position, you look at a guy like Saquon Barkley, who’s very difficult to tackle. I think Spell has a lot of those qualities. He runs well, and while I do think he can continue to improve his top end [speed], his initial burst is really good.

"I think it’s also important to mention that this looks like a strong running back group. We thought he was the top running back in the cycle on the early sophomore watchlist, and we came out of this update thinking he’s still the best.”

More LSU News:

LSU Football Hires Elite Offensive Coordinator, Five Assistant to Lane Kiffin's Staff

Three Takeaways From Lane Kiffin's Introductory Press Conference With LSU Football

Lane Kiffin Reveals How Nick Saban, Pete Carroll Influenced Decision to LSU Football

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