Kevin Smith arrived in Baton Rouge this offseason with a clear mandate to reshape LSU’s running back room into a conditioned, high-tempo unit that fits Lane Kiffin’s offense. His presence in early fall camp has been noticeable on the field and in the cadence of practice.
Smith’s methods and early camp results are detailed in a feature that chronicles his coaching history with Kiffin and how he is running fast, high-impact drills at LSU Sports Illustrated.
Key Takeaways
- Kevin Smith joined LSU as assistant head coach and running backs coach and is running fast-paced, high-impact drills in fall camp.
- Transfer back Dilin Jones has been leading drills and is emerging as a potential leader of the position group.
- Veterans Harlem Berry and Caden Durham remain part of the depth chart, though Berry was absent from camp this week.
- Smith’s coaching history with Lane Kiffin and his work developing Kewan Lacy at Ole Miss inform LSU’s push toward a higher-tempo offense.
Kevin Smith’s coaching style and camp drills
Smith carries an on-field presence that manifests in a loud, driven cadence during practice and an emphasis on quick, repetitive reps.
The drills are designed to condition backs to move from one task to the next at game pace so the offense can operate with consistent tempo.
That approach is rooted in his work alongside Lane Kiffin dating back to FAU and later at Ole Miss, where Smith helped develop a season in which a running back posted 24 rushing touchdowns.
His short, sharp drill structure places a premium on conditioning, decisiveness and finishing runs against live pursuit.
Running back room leadership and player notes
The room entering camp is a mix of veterans and newcomers, and Smith has been positioning leaders through on-field accountability.
Transfer Dilin Jones has been at the front of Smith’s high-impact drills and is receiving repeated reps that suggest coaches are evaluating him as a potential lead back.
Harlem Berry and Caden Durham are established pieces of the depth chart from last season, but Berry’s absence from camp this week created an opportunity for Jones to command more on-field work.
Smith’s reputation as a developer of backs has drawn comparisons between Jones’ early camp performance and the work he did with top backs at his prior stop.
Running back background and camp roles
| Player | Background | Camp role |
|---|---|---|
| Kewan Lacy | Developed under Kevin Smith at Ole Miss and noted for high touchdown production | Used as an example of Smith’s prior work producing scoring backs |
| Dilin Jones | Transfer running back who joined LSU’s room | Leading Smith’s high-impact drills and emerging as a potential leader |
| Harlem Berry | Returning veteran from last season | Part of the depth chart and absent from camp this week |
| Caden Durham | Returning veteran contributor | Rotation candidate and veteran presence in the room |
What Smith’s approach means for LSU’s offense
Smith’s repeatable, tempo-focused drills are tailored to fit the offensive identity Lane Kiffin favors: fast, conditioned and relentless in transition.
Conditioning backs to move at game speed in practice lowers the cognitive and physical friction when the offense needs to sustain drives at a higher pace.
The practical outcome is that coaches get a clearer sense of which backs can hold up across a full drive and players who thrive in short-burst, high-frequency reps can separate on merit.
Smith’s prior development work provides a blueprint for turning a talented room into a consistently fast group.
Impact on LSU recruiting and SEC postseason positioning
Elevating play cadence in the backfield aligns with broader SEC trends toward speed and versatility, traits that matter on the recruiting trail.
A conditioning-first approach that produces consistent reps and visible development can be a persuasive selling point with recruits and transfers evaluating program fit.
Operationally, a backfield that can sustain Kiffin’s tempo reduces game-to-game variance and helps the offense keep defenses off-balance, which matters in conference play and postseason positioning.
