LSU Tigers Running Back Set to Make a Return to College Football for 2025 Season

The seventh-year senior will return to college football for the 2025 season, member of 2019 National Championship team.

Nov 4, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; LSU Tigers running back John Emery Jr. (4) carries the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

LSU Tigers running back John Emery will make a return to college football for the 2025 season in what will be his seventh year of eligibility, he revealed via social media on Thursday.

Emery, who suffered a torn ACL last fall, has missed significant time during his collegiate career after battling the injury bug during his LSU career.

Now, after multiple ACL tears, academic challenges that have led to missed games and more, the Louisiana native will return to college football in 2025.

Emery is in the "early process," so he has not decided the destination of where he will play this upcoming fall.

Former LSU running back John Emery will pursue a seventh year of college football. His agent tells @theadvocatebr they are “early in the process,” so he has not decided where he will play. pic.twitter.com/BvOCTBQSgZ

— Wilson Alexander (@whalexander_) March 20, 2025

During an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show last September, LSU head coach Brian Kelly stated that Emery would be preparing for life after football following the injury.

“John, you know, I think it’s always about how you handle adversity,” Kelly said. “Unfortunately, he’s had this before. And I think he’s at a place in his life now that he knows he can do things outside of football. I think that’s what the trap is here, is that many of these young men sometimes didn’t know that they could do things outside of just football. And that’s a shame, right?

"I think building an identity outside of football with these young men is so crucial when you come into football programs. And we’ve done that.

“John knows that he has a life outside of football… is he disappointed? Absolutely. We’re crushed for him. But he knows that he has a life outside of football and now he’s going to be working towards that.”

Now, after putting the finishing touches on his rehabilitation following an ACL tear, Emery eyes a return to the gridiron.

Emery tore his ACL at the end of the 2023 season as well, and after entering the NCAA Transfer Portal for his final season of eligibility, he elected to return to LSU. He ended the year rushing for 121 yards on 23 carries.

The veteran running back has totaled 1,062 career rushing yards and 14 touchdowns while starting in five games and appearing in 37. He saw most of his production occur in 2020 and 2022, logging 75 and 76 carries, respectively.

LSU's current running back room consists of scholarship players Caden Durham, Kaleb Jackson and five-star freshman Harlem Berry. Four-star signee JT Lindsey will join the program this summer.

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