With LSU’s opener against Clemson now 22 days away, the focus turns from the countdown clock to the current Tigers who will wear No. 22 in Baton Rouge.
That number belongs first to Harlem Berry, a sophomore running back with plenty of buzz and even more room to grow. Berry showed flashes as a true freshman, though the setting around him made steady production hard to come by. He finished with 104 carries for 491 yards and two touchdowns, and he added eight receptions for 32 yards.
Berry arrived with major pedigree. The New Orleans area native was a five-star recruit, the nation’s top running back, and a player who dominated high school competition so thoroughly that he often looked two or three levels above the rest. He also drew comparisons to Reggie Bush, which is no small compliment.
Now, Berry is spending the offseason trying to take the next step in a new offense. Kewan Lacy’s numbers at Ole Miss last season - 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns - show what Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr. can do with a back in this system, even if Berry is not expected to see 206 carries.
The other No. 22 is Havon Finney Jr., a cornerback who was a major piece of Kiffin’s first LSU recruiting class. The Sierra Canyon product was a top-150 recruit and looks like a future starter in the making.
At 6-foot-1, Finney is a long, athletic defender who also ran track. He reclassified to the 2026 class, which makes him especially young, and LSU will likely give him time to add weight without losing the burst and speed that make him intriguing. He may not be ready to play right away, but he is very much part of the program’s future plans.
In Other News...
Joe Burrow Just Entered LSUs Jayden Daniels Controversy
Joe Burrows name has now been pulled into LSUs latest jersey-number dispute, even if the Bengals quarterback and Tigers alum did not seem eager to make himself part of it. Burrow said he had only become aware of the ongoing NIL and number issue involving Jayden Daniels a few hours before being asked, leaving him to answer a question that had already become one more layer of an increasingly messy conversation around LSU football.
The former Tiger also said LSU once told him his No. 9 jersey would not be reissued, while allowing that such things can change down the road. The backdrop here is the schools handling of jersey numbers, including sophomore DJ Pickett moving to No. 5, the number Daniels previously wore before his legal action against LSU, and it has turned what might have been a simple equipment-room decision into a broader alumni-and-athletics story with no clean resolution yet. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Says Goodbye To The Coach Who Built A Dynasty
Skip Bertman, the man who turned LSU baseball into a national standard, has died at 88. His impact on the program went far beyond trophies, though there were plenty of those: five College World Series titles as head coach, plus a run as athletic director that overlapped with two BCS football championships and helped define an era across LSU athletics.
Bertmans legacy also lives in the players he coached and the bigger place he carved out for LSU on the national stage. A longtime fixture in college sports and a member of multiple halls of fame, he left behind a dynasty in Baton Rouge and a program that still carries the imprint of his influence, even as the school says goodbye to one of its most important figures. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Daniels And LSU Just Turned This Into A Bigger Fight
Jayden Daniels LSU legacy has taken an uncomfortable turn, with his former No. 5 now worn by DJ Pickett and the school suddenly in the middle of a public dispute it probably did not want. Daniels has long been one of the most visible faces of the programs recent success, so even something as symbolic as a jersey number can carry real weight when it comes to how his time in Baton Rouge is remembered.
The tension escalated after Daniels camp sent LSU a cease-and-desist letter over the use of his name, image and likeness, a move that turned a familiar alumni story into a much messier one. StubHub even jumped into the conversation on social media with a nod to the dispute, underscoring how quickly it has spilled beyond campus. For LSU, the timing is awkward, too, with Daniels recovering from injuries from his 2025 season and reportedly healthy heading into 2026, which only keeps the spotlight on everything surrounding him. [Read more 🡒]