After how many seasons do college football players think they’re good to go pro? For LSU veteran John Emery Jr., it might be seven. The fire is still going in the running back, who won the championship back in 2019. But time catches up with everyone, and Emery is no exception to it. Amidst his return, he is facing a problem that could lead to a decision possibly hurting Brian Kelly and Co.

John Emery Jr. started his college career more than five years ago. At the time of his recruitment, he was the No. 2 ranked RB in the country. Emery had a great start with the Tigers and was part of the national championship-winning team in 2019. He played a great season in his sophomore year in the 2022 season, where he had 76 carries for 375 yards.

But Emery’s college career also has some huge gaps. He had to miss the entirety of 2021 due to academic issues and the majority of 2023 and 2024 because of injuries. After the last one, Brian Kelly hinted that Emery might be looking at “life outside of football.” But the RB clearly is in no mood to step back from the action. However, the RB room might be posing some space issues for Emery.

The roster has seen key inclusions that could potentially mean bad news for Emery. In a March 21 video, Matt Moscona of Locked On LSU said, “I don’t know if John Emery is going to play at LSU. The RB room already has 4 talented names. Caden Durham is back; Kaleb Jackson is back. You’re bringing in Harlem Berry—a five-star No. 1 running back in the country. You’ve got JT Lindsey… who’s coming in June.”

Moscona adds a 5 name, too: Trey Holly, if he is in the clear after his trial in July. It doesn’t stop here because he keeps adding more names. “You also Ju’Juan Johnson, who is playing quarterback but could fill a role as a runner. Zavian Thomas has filled that role as well, taking carries.”

With all of these potential names, there isn’t much room for Emery. “You’re deep, there, and you don’t really have a great need for it,” said Moscona. In conclusion, he added, “John Emery announcing he’s coming back to play football in 2025 doesn’t necessarily mean he’s going to play football at LSU in 2025.” So, how will the seasoned RB’s seventh outing into college football play out?

John Emery has two ways to move forward

Moscona puts forward two situations that could likely take shape in Emery’s seventh season. “[I]f you get to July, and something happens with the Trey Holly situation and he’s not allowed to return, and you want to add a veteran presence, maybe that could happen.” The other option for Emery would probably come by after spring. “A running-back-needy team calls John Emery and says, ‘Hey, come give it a go with us and play a full season of football.’ […] Maybe that’s how this goes down,” Moscona notes.

Emery’s team itself has not specified that he will play for LSU this year, according to The Advocate. He’s “early in the process,” On3 quotes from the publication. There is a good chance of him playing at LSU because that’s where he’s played his entire college career. Moscona also says he’s using campus facilities for rehab and prep, so he’s still at Baton Rouge at the moment. But perhaps Emery is aware of the RB room depth and might consider a go at the transfer portal. We probably won’t know until the spring transfer portal window opens in April.

It’s not easy to keep coming back for so many seasons, but Emery is doing so for good reason. Moscona says that he admires Emery for his “perseverance,” especially for the way he stood through 2021 and also after his next seasons were cut short. His teammates from before are already in their second year as NFL pros. How will Emery fare in his touted seventh season, and most importantly, where will he play it?