LSU Football: Prized Defensive Back Ju'Juan Johnson Moves to Running Back

Brian Kelly and the coaching staff have moved the freshman safety to running back following John Emery's injury.

LSU running back John Emery suffered a torn ACL on Tuesday during practice, and with a lack of bodies in the backfield, the Tigers have made a move.

Brian Kelly and Co. have moved freshman defensive back Ju'Juan Johnson to running back to add a piece of depth to the room.

Before Johnson's move, the Tigers were down to three scholarship running backs on the roster in Josh Williams, Kaleb Jackson and true freshman Caden Durham.

Now, the elite athlete joins a talented backfield that needed another piece in the mix.

Johnson isn't new to having the ball in his hands. During his time on the prep scene, he was utilized as an athlete who played both sides of the ball.

The freshman phenom played defensive back and quarterback during his time with Lafayette Christian Academy.

He holds the Louisiana record for total yards (14,470) and total touchdowns (171) during his high school career.

#LSU DB Ju’Juan Johnson rewrote the record books on offense in high school.

The LHSAA Records:
14,470 total yards
171 total touchdowns

Now, with only 3 scholarship RBs, he’s moved to running back.

Brian Kelly raved about Johnson on Signing Day:pic.twitter.com/bjvUbV2Hil

— Zack Nagy (@znagy20) September 5, 2024

Now, the four-star prospect out of Lafayette will be given an opportunity to have the ball in his hands once again.

Johnson was rated as a Top 10 recruit in the Bayou State coming out of high school in the 2024 class. Kelly has raved about the importance of locking down the state with Johnson being a key piece to the haul.

“When we talk about recruiting and where our focus is, our focus is on the state of Louisiana,” Kelly said in December. “Our focus is on freshmen and it’s on a well-rounded student-athlete that recognizes the value of an LSU degree and wants to play for championships. That will be reflected in this class.”

The goal was to always get Johnson on the field as a true freshman. During Fall Camp, he ran with the second-team at the STAR position. The development he had throughout his first offseason caught the coaching staff's attention.

“You can see the shift in transition towards developing our players and giving them the opportunity to grow within our program. Then, we have to put them on the field. We had some young players who had to play this year, and there’s some growing pains that come along with that. But I’m committed to that growth and that kind of development," Kelly said. "I think in the long run that proves to be the way to championships, continuity and consistencies in your program.” 

Johnson is a key piece to LSU's recent recruiting haul that included 27 signings from either the high school or JUCO ranks in 2024 where he enrolled early in January.

“We’re excited about the 27 total signings - 26 high school players and one junior college player today,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said. “Fourteen of them will enroll in January, which obviously gives us a great opportunity to develop those players through the winter conditioning program and get them acclimated academically and socially. “We also can put them in a good position from a time management standpoint so that when we get into the summer and preseason camp, they’re a lot more comfortable being in college.”

“In three recruiting cycles we’ve brought 64 freshmen into our program,” Kelly said. “I’ve said this since I got here - we’re going to build this program on freshmen. Last year, we had to bring in a number of transfers because that was necessary for where we were as a program. This year, we’ve only brought in two.

More LSU News:

What He Said: Brian Kelly Irate Following LSU's Week 1 Loss to USC

LSU Inching Towards No. 1 Recruiting Class in America

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

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