On Sunday, it was confirmed LSU running back John Emery Jr is suspended for the first two games of 2022 after becoming academically ineligible.
As reported by The Athletic’s Brody Miller, due to “issues arising from his previous 2021 suspension,” he will miss the Superdome opener vs Florida State. In week two, Emery will also be out vs Southern, a game of major local significance.
Brian Kelly
LSU Head Coach Brian Kelly foreshadowed this news during his press conference on Saturday. Only hours before, lsuodyssey.com learned Emery Jr would definitely miss the opener vs Florida State. “You guys know the situation with John Emery. I really can’t get into the specifics of that because of the Buckley amendment. But he’s certainly going to be part of what we do this year,” Kelly answered at the podium on Saturday. “There’s obviously some things I can’t talk about. He is in good standing with football. Everything that he’s done, he’s done a good job with us in football. Anything else that arises is something I can’t comment on because of privacy rights.”
Tough Week in Baton Rouge
Following a week where Myles Brennan left the team and football completely, or an off-season where we were told Emery’s academic standing was up to Kelly’s standards, the weekend’s news came as another shocking development for an LSU roster leaking numbers.
Losing 2019 veteran cornerback Raydarious Jones to a season-long academic suspension, alongside highly-rated defensive end Phillip Webb, top 150 overall linebacker Antoine Sampah, running backs Tre Bradford, and Corey Kiner, after the retirement of Brennan, this weekend’s Emery news has been yet another blow to an already short roster.
The Running Back Room
The Tigers now enter week one vs. the Seminoles holding just three scholarship running backs. Josh Williams, Armoni Goodwin, and potential #1 back Noah Cain, backed by converted linebacker Nick Demas.
As a freshman at LSU, Emery rushed for four touchdowns during the Tigers 2019 National Championship-winning campaign. In 2020, he enjoyed a wondrous performance against Alabama during an inconsistent, injury-riddled campaign. Then in 2021, an academic suspension turned his junior season into an anonymous year in the footballing wilderness.
Despite missing the first two games of 2022, much is expected of the former five-star out of Destrehan. As a fourth-year Tiger, 2022 is effectively considered his “make or break” season at LSU. Still, if the social media world is any indication, the young running back has plenty of support within the LSU fanbase.
