It looks like Brian Kelly is standing at a crossroads, and the road signs aren’t pointing kindly. Three years in the program, Brian Kelly’s still coming up short in the clutch—no playoff, no SEC title, just intensifying pressure and frustrated fans. LSU’s 9-4 2024 season felt underwhelming, especially after a disastrous opener and a late-season collapse. Kelly’s lucrative contract is looking less golden by the day. However, one bright spot remains: his 1,031-yard offensive weapon, who’s dominating defenses, single-handedly carrying the offense, and offering Baton Rouge a reason for optimism heading into another crucial season.

Well, this season Brian Kelly can’t take any chances, and that’s exactly why he’s putting up a strong team that’s playoff-ready. A very crucial key of that squad is Tiger’s 5’9, 205 lb. standout RB Caden Durham. In 2024, Durham had 753 rushing yards on 150 carries, averaging 5.4 yards/carry. Add to that his six rushing touchdowns. Not bad for a freshman. But he didn’t stop there—he also hauled in 28 catches for 260 yards and tacked on two more scores through the air. So, there’s no doubt that Brian Kelly has a true dual-threat back who made every touch count. This player was one of the top RB recruits in the class of 2024. S

And let’s not forget Caden Durham put up those numbers despite dealing with a toe injury for almost the entire year. And this year? Brian Kelly’s vision is clear: he wants to see LSU’s run game take the pressure off Garrett Nussmeier, and getting Caden healthy is a key to that. Because even spring practice wasn’t that great for him in terms of injuries, as he wasn’t practicing much because of an ankle sprain. But former LSU RB Kevin Faulk has pretty high expectations for him this year as Caden’s moving to his second year.

Talking about his progress on Off the Bench: LSU, Kevin makes a bold remark on his future. “Year one, he did an amazing job of just waiting his turn, not pressing, and when the opportunity came, he took advantage of it thoroughly. I think with the pass protection for him, I think we’re in good shape. Just seeing him in a couple of situations that he had last year, the technique could have been better, but at the same time, how much are they working on it?” 

Kevin further adds to it and says, “Yeah, because from my understanding, there’s a lot of teamwork being done, and to see what I’ve seen from him so far in the pass protection, I think he’s ahead of the game, and I think going forward he’s going to be good because it seems like he’s the type of guy that wants to learn.”

No wonder Brian Kelly’s key offensive weapon is making progress this off-season, as he is already the second-ranked running back in the conference, as per CBS Sports. That’s not just hype; that’s a bold statement. Sure, Durham’s a solid addition to Brian Kelly’s 2024 LSU class, but he’s also got the potential to be one of the nation’s best running backs. He topped 80 rushing yards in four games, averaging only 11.7 carries per game. He’s also a receiving threat, racking up 260 receiving yards. With more carries, Durham could easily contend for All-SEC and even national honors.

But it looks like his position is under real threat this season. Why? Well, there’s another playmaker in the mix, and that’s Kaleb Jackson, who can give real chills to Caden. Even LSU’s insider Matt Moscona trusts his caliber. “As a freshman, Kaleb Jackson had 31 rushing attempts for 165 yards and four touchdowns. Last year, we were all anticipating this big step up, and he carried the ball just 44 times for 150 yards,” Matt said. Last season, Caden Durham sure overshadowed him, but this year, he can flip the script. And Matt sees it. “Even for a guy who, in two years, has a total of 75 rushes for 315 yards. I still think this is a massively significant development that Kaleb Jackson is returning because he provides you with something different.”

So, let’s wait and see if Brian Kelly goes for experience or hype this year because his tenure with the team is already under a microscope.

Does Brian Kelly’s future hang on a thin thread?

Brian Kelly arrived at LSU with a clear goal: to win big. Three seasons later, he boasts a 29-11 record, two 10-win seasons, and three bowl game victories. Yet, the College Football Playoff remains elusive. As the 2025 season approaches, anonymous SEC coaches highlight the increased pressure. “They have playoff expectations here,” one anonymous coach said. “And it’s a better depth chart than he’s had in Baton Rouge. If they aren’t in the CFP, I think there’s some serious pressure here.” 

This offseason, LSU is refocusing, aiming for a playoff berth. An anonymous coach familiar with the Tigers’s history says, “The big talk here is the way they’ve restructured. This isn’t an autonomous coaching culture anymore. [GM] Austin Thomas has a huge role building the roster. And it showed this offseason. The internal evaluation of LSU football will look more professional; they’re going to build BK [Brian Kelly] the best roster possible to go out and win games.” LSU has moved past individual coaching silos, adopting a streamlined, professional system emphasizing player evaluation and development.

LSU enters 2025 with quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, a potential high NFL draft pick, at the helm. To support him, LSU secured the No. 2 transfer class, per On3, adding tight end Donovan Green and receivers Nic Anderson and Destyn Hill. These playmakers significantly bolster LSU’s offense, creating easier opportunities for Nussmeier and raising expectations.

And beyond the field, Brian Kelly pushes for a new approach to CFP selection. What? “To me, when I was at Notre Dame, we played for the national championship, and it was the old system; it was done by a computer. Today it’s very subjective. What we’d like to see is maybe a combination of some of the analytics and some of the strength of schedule components. I know a lot of people use RPI. We probably couldn’t use an RPI because we just don’t have enough body of work in terms of games.” Kelly said. He adds, “ But if we can blend those two together the selection process is a lot cleaner relative to who should be in and who shouldn’t be in.” That’s sure a plan. But what about their rough path?