LSU running back suffers season-ending knee injury in practice

Following a frustrating season-opening loss to USC on Sunday night, the news got even worse for LSU on Wednesday.

Veteran running back John Emery Jr., now in his fifth season with the program, suffered a torn ACL in practice on Tuesday and will miss the remainder of the 2024 season. The news was first reported by Wilson Alexander of The Advocate.

Emery was a standout in the rushing game in LSU’s opener, leading the team in carries (10) and yards (61). The veteran briefly entered the transfer portal ahead of the season but opted to return for what would have been his final year of college eligibility.

Emery’s 2023 season also ended prematurely with a torn ACL suffered late in the season.

It’s a brutal break for a player who has had a winding career in Baton Rouge but seemed poised for potentially his best campaign yet. Without him, LSU will lean even more on fellow veteran Josh Williams and sophomore Kaleb Jackson.

True freshman Caden Durham could also see his touches increase as a result after he wasn’t a factor in the Week 1 gameplan.

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