LSU: Life After Leonard Fournette
LSU junior running back Leonard Fournette announced on Monday that he will forgo his senior season in Baton Rouge and declare for the NFL Draft. He is expected to be a first-round draft pick according to most mock drafts. Some mocks have him going to the Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers among others depending on which mock you look at. For Fournette, it was a storied career at LSU and one that the fans will never forget. The star-studded running back racked up a total of 3,830 yards with 40 total touchdowns as a Tiger. Replacing him will not be that easy, but his backup Derrius Guice is even better than he was. Fournette sent out an open letter to the LSU fans saying that he “will forever be an LSU Tiger”.
What’s Next for the LSU Backfield?
The Tigers have always had great running backs among other positions. Many greats have come and gone from Baton Rouge. To name a few, Kevin Faulk, Jeremy Hill, and now Leonard Fournette. Many people within the Tiger faithful believe that Fournette is of elite status concerning his play at LSU. Although he didn’t win a Heisman Trophy or a National Championship, Fournette did have some memorable runs while wearing the purple and gold. So how will the Tigers move on from Fournette after the Citrus Bowl? It’s easy. Derrius Guice will be the starter in 2017 in the backfield. His speed and power will set him near the top in LSU’s class of elite running backs. Just this season Guice broke the single-game rushing record that was set by Fournette earlier in the year. The Tigers have some established backs coming onto campus in 2017 that can play along Guice if he was to get injured.
How will the LSU offense change without Fournette?
This LSU offense is and always will be more of a power-running offense. They do throw the ball when needed, but for the most part they rely on the run game to get the points they need to win games. The only thing that will change for the offense is that Fournette will no longer be in the backfield. It will now be up to Guice and the other great running backs to carry the load for the team. The power and speed running of Derrius Guice has been seen multiple times, and the Tiger fans are ready for him to take on the reigns of being the number one back for their beloved team.
Will LSU ever see another back like Fournette?
Fournette has been one of the best running backs to come through LSU in recent years. His style of running has been compared to NFL greats. Some analysts have stated that he is better than a few of the current backs in the NFL. As for another Fournette type of back, just look at Guice. The sophomore has the speed just like Fournette but ultimately is more of a power back. LSU could use that to their advantage in 2017 if Guice stays healthy.
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