For the second consecutive year, a talented running back from Louisiana is facing serious criminal charges, derailing their football career.
Last year, it was Trey Holly, the state’s all-time leading rusher in high school football history. Holly is still facing felony charges for his alleged involvement in a February 2024 shooting in his hometown of Union Parish that injured two people.
Holly was set to stand trial in July, but it was postponed because the air conditioning unit went down at the courthouse and a new trial date has not been set.
Holly is now at Southern University because LSU will not allow Holly to play for the Tigers because he’s facing felony charges.
Holly’s legal troubles led LSU to have just four scholarship running backs on the roster; now they have three, with JT Lindsey suspended from the team following his arrest on Friday on two felony counts of accessory after the fact to second-degree murder.
Lindsey is accused of allowing two murder suspects out of Alexandria to stay at his dorm on campus for nearly two weeks.
Authorities reportedly found multiple guns at Lindsey’s dorm, including two AR-15 rifles, a Draco, and a Glock.
Lindsey’s attorney says Lindsey was unaware that 17-year-old Shemell Jacobs and 18-year-old Keldrick Jordan were wanted in the shooting death of 17-year-old Corey Brooks last May.
But Lindsey’s arrest warrant alleges that Lindsey knew his two friends from high school were wanted by police, and Lindsey knowingly harbored and aided Jacobs and Jordan.
Just like it was for Holly, Lindsey’s arrest is shocking for those who know him. His high school coach at Alexandria Senior High, Thomas Bachman, told me on multiple occasions that Lindsey’s mother held him to a high standard.
When Lindsey left the East Baton Rouge Parish jail on Friday after he bonded out, Lindsey’s mother was right by his side.
Lindsey had to wait for his opportunity at Alexandria Senior High. He didn’t play much in his sophomore season, and then started to emerge his junior season, rushing for 1,729 yards and 26 touchdowns.
He broke out his senior season, rushing for nearly 2,500 yards and 33 touchdowns as ASH went undefeated in the regular season against one of the toughest schedules in Louisiana high school football.
Lindsey helped ASH get to the state championship game, but they lost to a great Edna Karr team.
Unless the charges get dropped, its likely Lindsey will not play in 2025.
Caden Durham is the unquestioned starter for LSU. But the Tigers will need Kaleb Jackson to finally emerge as a solid backup and can freshman Harlem Berry make the jump from playing small school high school football to breaking tackles in the SEC?
Three running backs might not be enough for LSU. Just look at last season, John Emery went down with a torn ACL in early September last year.
LSU can’t afford to have a running back this season suffer a season-ending injury.
In camp, the Tigers have used former Lafayette Christian High star JuJuan Johnson at running back, even though he was moved to the quarterback position in the spring.
The plan is also to only play Johnson in four games, to preserve his redshirt season, but that plan may have to be aborted.
At Saturday’s scrimmage, speedster Jelani Watkins took some snaps at running back in two-back sets.
With the depth at wide receiver, it might be easier for Watkins to see the field as a running back.
Football aside, what has happened to Holly and Lindsey is very sad.
It remains to be seen if they will be found guilty of the crimes they are accused of, but what is certain, Holly and Lindsey were two great high school football running backs and had bright futures when they arrived at LSU.
But whether it was bad choices, being at the wrong place at the wrong time, or unlucky circumstances, Lindsey and Holly now face uncertain futures.
At least Holly will have a chance to play this season for Southern, and something tells me he’ll have a big season. For Lindsey, one of the best high school players to come out of Alexandria, it’s uncertain when he’ll get a chance to show off that elite speed and elusiveness that excited fans at ASH the last two seasons.