LSU’s August camp has already produced one of its most interesting developments, and it comes from a name few would have circled when the transfer portal rankings were released: Stacy Gage.
The redshirt sophomore running back from Central Florida has been turning heads in recent practices, enough to draw a public nod from Lane Kiffin after Thursday’s post-practice session. Gage, listed at 5-foot-10 and 206 pounds, arrived with modest portal billing - No. 1,739 overall and No. 134 among transfer backs by 247sports.com.
He was a three-star prospect out of St. Thomas Aquinas High in Tampa, ranked No. 30 nationally at running back and No. 55 in Florida in 2024.
Kiffin, though, clearly isn’t grading him by the label next to his name.
“Stacy’s done really well. That’s a good spot by you,” Kiffin told TigerBait.com’s Michael Scarborough Thursday at a post-practice press conference.
“He’s had a really good camp, really done things for not being kind of a marquee name coming in. And that’s how we do it.”
That approach fits the way Kiffin has handled personnel since arriving at LSU: the résumé matters less than what a player shows once camp starts. He pointed to Hawaii receiver Jackson Harris as another example.
Harris signed in January as the No. 173 propect in the portal and No. 40 wide receiver. He has since climbed to No. 110 overall and No. 25 at his position, despite not having played since that ranking.
For Gage, the opportunity is still taking shape. Whether he ends up in the mix to start or settles into the top two or three in the backfield rotation remains to be seen.
Junior Caden Durham is the returning starter, and he has been LSU’s leading rusher the last two seasons with 1,252 yards and nine touchdowns on 151 carries. Yet during the limited media viewing windows at practice, Durham has often not shown up in the two-deep.
That said, those brief looks only tell part of the story, and Kiffin made clear he isn’t building the depth chart off old production or outside reputation.
“We just open it up and evaluate guys from scratch, regardless of what they’ve done before,” Kiffin said.
Gage’s previous numbers don’t jump off the page. He ran for 63 yards over eight games at Central Florida last season, and in 2024 he appeared in three games without touching the ball. Still, LSU has seen enough in camp to keep giving him chances.
“So, we’re really pleased with him (Gage), and he’s gotten reps to show that,” Kiffin said.
The backfield picture also includes Harlem Berry, who rushed for 491 yards on 104 carries with two touchdowns as a freshman last season, and Wisconsin transfer Dilin Jones, who had 300 yards on 76 carries with two touchdowns in 2025. But none of that guarantees anything in Kiffin’s world. The only thing that really counts is what happens on the practice field.
Thursday also brought a few injury-related updates. True freshman defensive end Lamar Brown was not at practice amid reports of an injury on Tuesday. Defensive tackle Malik Blocton returned after missing Tuesday, defensive end Jordan Ross was back practicing Thursday after sitting out Tuesday, safety DJ Pickett was full go after no contact on Tuesday, and Berry also practiced Thursday after missing Tuesday.
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One name that immediately fits the conversation is Weylin Lapuaho, who recently entered the transfer portal and falls into that class of players affected by the decision. Kiffin also pointed to other former players he has coached who are now in NFL training camps, suggesting LSUs search for experienced line help may not be limited to the usual transfer market. [Read more 🡒]