It took nearly all of fall camp, but on Saturday LSU football coach Les Miles finally received word that running back Richard Murphy, the last of four freshmen awaiting word on the NCAA Clearinghouse, would be eligible to play this season. Murphy, a four-star athlete according to Rivals.com, joins running back Keiland Williams, offensive lineman Steven Singleton and defensive tackle Al Woods as freshmen whose campus arrivals were delayed by the NCAA Clearinghouse. “We’re excited about that,” Miles said of getting the freshmen in question cleared. “We’re going to make sure those guys get in early and get their feet on the ground and comfortable academically.” Although Miles was understandably excited to get the freshmen cleared, he admitted that at times, he was not overly optimistic about the situation. “It did concern me,” Miles conceded. “I don’t necessarily understand the criteria that [the NCAA Clearinghouse] are looking at, so I was concerned.” That concern ended on Saturday with the clearing of Murphy but it brings forth another as the season opener against the University of Louisiana at Lafayette looms nearer. Who to play at running back? Williams and Murphy join a heavily populated but presumably cloudy situation at tailback. The Tigers are not void of talent as they return former starter and LSU single-game rushing yard record holder Alley Broussard, not to mention Justin Vincent, another former starter and 2003 National Championship game Most Valuable Player. What makes the situation shaky is that both are recovering from serious knee injuries which required surgery. Also redshirt freshman running back R.J. Jackson, who was spending some time at wide receiver, is dealing with a knee injury of his own. The other redshirt freshman running back, Antonio Robinson, was going to be moved to defense before the picture at tailback became cloudy due to injuries. Enter Murphy and Williams who join fellow freshman running back Charles Scott to vie for playing time at the position. Williams, the most hyped of the trio, comes in after becoming the first running back to rush for 1,000 yards in a season at Hargrave Military Academy after gaining 1,325 and 12 touchdowns on 160 attempts. “It’s really tough to tell how much these guys can contribute or not contribute,” Miles said of the trio. “With them getting in so late and not having the same amount of practices as the other guys, it’s just tough to tell.” A player Miles e is more certain of is Woods. Woods, who Miles said has been getting consistent snaps with the defenses second unit, was ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 2 defensive tackle in the nation and No. 2 overall prospect in Louisiana coming out of Elton High School. “Al has done a great job, and I think he’ll be fine,” Miles said. “I think he can operate on either side of the ball at both [defensive] tackle positions.” Fellow defensive tackle Marlon Favorite, who says he has taken on more of a leadership role in the absence of former LSU and All-SEC tackles Kyle Williams and Claude Wroten, has also noticed Woods’ abilities since he was cleared to practice at camp. “He’s progressing pretty good but what impressed me about him was his speed,” Favorite said. “He also has big hands and a big body. Once he realizes he possesses these things and learns how to use them on a college level, he’s going to be really good.”
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