LSU running back Kaleb Jackson has had a rocky up and down journey to this point since he has arrived on campus, but Jackson confirmed to the media today that his intentions are to stay with the team and not hit the transfer portal ending any speculation that he would enter the spring transfer portal window.
“No, I’m not going in.”
LSU RB Kaleb Jackson
Jackson was a backup behind Caden Durham this past season as a sophomore. The talented running back out of Liberty Magnet High School showed some flashes his freshman year including a SportsCenter’s Top 10 moment in which he trucked a Mississippi State defender, but it was a little bit of a down year this past season with only 44 carries in 2024.
For Jackson’s standards, it was a disappointing season and even though there were some doubts about possibly entering the portal, it was a meeting with Frank Wilson that helped him reaffirm his abilities within the program.
“Doubt creeps in and I was asking myself if I was good enough. It happens to everybody. All Coach Wilson told me was that I belong and they recruited me for a reason. I am who I am. I am Kaleb Jackson and not anybody else. I got to stay the course and have my head down and keep working.”
LSU RB Kaleb Jackson
Jackson has felt like he has had a better spring than he did a season ago and that his talents compliment other running backs on the current roster like Caden Durham and Harlem Berry.
“I just put my trust in God, trust in my coaches. I felt like I had a good spring. I just want to be a better overall back. I want to be better in short yardage in down and distance. I am not going to get denied at the goal line. I want to be a better third down back coming out of the backfield and catching passes.”
LSU RB Kaleb Jackson
One of the biggest reasons for the struggles last year was figuring out the best weight for him to run with as the Tigers’ power runner was up to 235 over last fall.
“I am a big back so I wanted to add some muscle and I still had my speed somewhat, but I felt like I lost a step being that heavy. Right now, I am in the process of losing weight, getting back to where I was. I feel like I would have the speed and still the ability to break tackles.”
LSU RB Kaleb Jackson
Jackson’s goal is to get back to 225 pounds this season and entering his third season, he wants to show the advantages of now being a veteran back.
“It does creep on you quick. Just a few years ago, I was doing this, doing that and right now, I’m a third year back picking up that veteran role Josh had. It is a little scary, but I am not going to sell myself short and I am not going to quit early.”
LSU RB Kaleb Jackson
Jackson admits that last season is a humbling experience, but he also learned that there is a different plan for everybody.
“What I learned was to be patient and not to be overzealous because last season, I felt like I was telling myself that I am not good enough. Everybody has a time. Maybe my time wasn’t last year. Maybe, it is this year or the year after that, but I felt like if I just kept my head down and kept working, it is going to pay off.”
LSU RB Kaleb Jackson
Coming back to campus next season, Kaleb Jackson is not only physically working to get back to the highly regarded four star coming out of high school, but also getting back to where he is at his most confident in being Kaleb Jackson.
“I just need to be me. Play smooth, play confident, and play with physicality. I just got to be me. I went through my freshman year and everybody was saying that Kaleb Jackson was going to be the next this and that. I got on Cloud 9 thinking that if I just kept on doing what I’m doing, it is going to happen, but it’s not. You got to keep stacking and keep growing as a player. I can shoot for the stars, but I have to stay grounded and be where my feet are. I got to be Kaleb Jackson.”
LSU RB Kaleb Jackson
With the ability to still become a breakout star while also maturing both mentally and physically, it could be a scary sight to see what happens for opposing defenses when Kaleb Jackson puts it all together.
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