Caden Durham injury update: LSU coach Brian Kelly shares availability status of star RB ahead of Ole Miss showdown

No. 4 LSU won’t play its first Southeastern Conference road game until Saturday, when Brian Kelly’s squad heads to Oxford to take on No. 13 Ole Miss. As that game approaches, the status of sophomore running back Caden Durham is still uncertain.

Durham, who recorded 37 rushing yards on 12 carries and added 11 receiving yards on three catches in last year’s 29-26 overtime win against Ole Miss, is working his way back from an ankle injury.

Kelly addressed Durham's injury condition during Wednesday morning’s SEC Coaches Teleconference.

“I think we’re going to list him as questionable,” Kelly said (via The Bengal Tiger). “We’ll see how he progresses through practice each day.

“He could go from questionable to out or questionable to probable depending on how he moves through the remainder of practice.”

The injury occurred in the second quarter of LSU’s 56-10 win over Southeastern in Week 4. Durham limped off the field and didn’t return, though most of the offensive starters were pulled after the opening drive of the second half anyway.

Concerns about a major setback were eased after Kelly revealed on Monday that Durham’s MRI came back clean and that follow-up evaluations offered more positive signs.

Before exiting, Durham had picked up 17 rushing yards on seven carries and three receptions for seven yards.

Brian Kelly weighs timeline for Caden Durham’s final injury update status ahead of Week 5

LSU remains undefeated at 4-0 overall and 1-0 in SEC play. Leading the ground game so far is Caden Durham, who has totaled 213 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 52 carries, along with eight receptions for 39 yards.

After a light Monday session, the Tigers returned to full practice on Tuesday, as they release injury updates Wednesday and Thursday evenings, with a final report set for game day.

Brian Kelly noted that a decision on Durham’s status may not come until Friday or even right before the Ole Miss kickoff.

“We won’t make those assessments until we see the full body of work,” Kelly said (via The Bengal Tiger).

If Durham is sidelined, Ju’Juan Johnson could see an expanded role. He posted 43 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries in Week 4. Junior Kaleb Jackson is also expected to factor into the backfield rotation if needed.