What does LSU football's RB room look like after four-star transfer?

LSU football running back Kaleb Jackson announced his decision to enter the NCAA transfer portal Friday morning after spending three seasons in Baton Rouge. Jackson had an efficient freshman year for the Tigers, but continued to play mainly in a reserve role over the past two seasons due to the arrivals of Caden Durham, Harlem Berry, and others. 

Jackson and Ju’Juan Johnson’s decision to transfer has left LSU’s running back room quite bare. The headliners, Durham and Berry, are still in town, but there isn’t another scholarship running back behind them.

The Tigers do not have any other back committed as part of their 2026 class either. They are in a peculiar spot, as Berry and Durham are both very young and talented backs who will be hard to displace on the depth chart. Given how college football operates today, with young players eager to get playing time as early as possible, recruiting depth pieces in the upcoming transfer portal period will be a challenge. 

One option is recruiting a seasoned, bigger back to handle the Tigers’ short-yardage snaps, as Berry and Durham are both somewhat light backs, weighing 190 and 205 pounds, respectively. A fitting candidate for this role is former Texas running back CJ Baxter, who is listed at 6-1 and 227 pounds, according to 247Sports. Baxter had an excellent freshman season in Austin, rushing for 659 yards and five touchdowns, but he suffered a season-ending injury ahead of the 2024 season and was unable to take over the lead role in 2025. 

Here's a look at what Baxter could bring to the Tigers’ running back room:

Baxter finds a way 🤘 @c4era_pic.twitter.com/5orSubSIrq

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) October 21, 2023

Whether that’s the route Lane Kiffin decided to take or not, there needs to be at least one reliable option added to the roster when the portal opens on January 2.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: What does LSU football's RB room look like after four-star transfer?