If you watched Louisiana football last season, you probably heard the name JT Lindsey more than once, usually right after he blew past another defender. The Alexandria Senior High star was more than just fast, clocking a 10.85 in the 100 meters; he was a touchdown machine, racking up over 1,700 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns as a junior before leading ASH to an undefeated 10-0 regular season as a senior. When paired with fellow five-star Harlem Berry, LSU fans envisioned the nation’s most dangerous backfield duo in the Class of 2025.

Lindsey, a native of Alexandria, Louisiana, rose to prominence with the Alexandria Trojans before moving to Baton Rouge. He was ranked as the No. 7 RB and 132 overall in the country in the 2025 recruiting cycle as per On3 composite ratings. He was one of the jewels in LSU’s 23-man class, which finished No. 9 in the nation, and he was also the fourth-ranked prospect in Louisiana. With fans already imagining him making huge impact in Tiger Stadium, expectations were ridiculously high for the rookie. For reasons no one imagined, his first season is currently on hold.

Why was LSU freshman arrested during fall camp?

In a recent post on X, 104.5 ESPN said, “BREAKING: LSU Freshman RB JT Lindsey arrested on felony accessory charge amid Fall Camp.” After turning himself in to the police on Friday afternoon, JT Lindsey, a freshman RB at LSU, was put in handcuffs on a charge of “accessory after the fact” that he allowed two teenagers who were accused of second-degree murder to take shelter at his dorm. Arrest records indicate that two suspects in a May shooting, Shemell Jacobs and Keldrick Jordan, both from his hometown of Alexandria, were staying in the former four-star recruit’s apartment in Riverbend Hall.

Jacobs even had Lindsey’s LSU ID on him when the police arrested them. It wasn’t exactly a quiet case for the two suspects, Shemell Jacobs, 17, and Keldrick Jordan, 18. U.S. Marshals arrested the two after they were located close to the Riverbend Building at LSU’s Nicholson Gateway residence halls. Officers found a small arsenal inside the apartment, including a Glock, a Draco, and two AR-15s.

Although they were aware of the arrest, LSU officials remained silent, stating that they would not comment “out of respect for the legal process.” Following the news, Lindsey’s lawyer, Kris Perret, attempted to defuse the situation. He informed reporters, “At this time, guys, we are cooperating with LSU PD.” “My client maintains he’s fully innocent of all charges and any wrongdoing. We hope to get this straightened out pretty quick and that’s all we have to say at this point. We will have more later.”

JT Lindsey’s arrest leaves LSU in trouble

One of the top 10 RBs in the country when he arrived at LSU, JT Lindsey was to play a ground game that head coach Brian Kelly had been pleased with. During preseason media availability on Tuesday, Kelly stated, “I think we’ve made some progress….We struggle a lot up front, and this is the week we’re installing some of our movement, so that becomes a little more difficult on our guys up front in handling our movement. (But) the guys up front are pretty good.” He continued by saying that he is “pleased with the structure of the run game” and the combination of direct snaps and shotgun looks.

On August 31, LSU takes on a highly anticipated road trip to Clemson, which was already going to put the Tigers to the test early in the season. Losing Lindsey, even for a short time, upsets the depth chart because he was one of only four scholarship RBs on the team. In order to manage the workload, the coaching staff will now need to rely more on the remaining backs, including highly regarded freshman Harlem Berry. With an opponent like Clemson waiting, this roster shuffle isn’t exactly what Brian Kelly wanted with less than a month to go.