Leonard Fournette Injury: 3 Reasons LSU Star Should Sit Rest of Season

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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LSU star Leonard Fournette should sit the rest of the season if he wants to be the first running back taken in the 2017 NFL draft.

There’s no question that the most talented running back in college football is LSU Tigers star Leonard Fournette. However, if Fournette is really serious about his long-term success, he needs to sit out for the rest of the year.

On Wednesday, LSU interim head coach Ed Orgeron announced that Fournette will miss another game on Saturday against Southern Mississippi. Fournette has been dealing with a sprained ankle all season, already missing two games prior to Saturday.

Fournette has gone from a potential Heisman Trophy front runner at the beginning of the season to an afterthought thanks to players like Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson putting up monster numbers.

With the LSU star missing another game, Fournette’s chances of winning the Heisman Trophy are all but gone. That hurts for Tigers fans who expected Fournette to take the nation by storm, especially with how rough this season has been for the program.

There are only a couple more months of regular season games for the Tigers, but here are a few reasons why Fournette should go ahead and shut it down for the remainder of the year.

Sep 10, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Les Miles congratulates Russell Gage (39) after a tackle against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks during the second half at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated Jacksonville State 34-13. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

3. LSU Isn’t Going Anywhere

Expectations were sky-high for the LSU Tigers heading into this season. After all, the Tigers were ranked No. 5 in the preseason AP Poll and could have made a big statement in their opener against the Wisconsin Badgers at Lambeau Field.

Instead, the Tigers lost 16-14 and went just 2-2 in their first four games, eventually falling out of the Top 25. With any hope of a College Football Playoff appearance out the window, the Tigers promptly fired head coach Les Miles just four weeks into the season.

Ed Orgeron has taken over for Miles, and while the players have been rallying around their new coach, it has to sting for guys like Fournette who have been playing with the prestigious Miles for a few years.

Even if Miles was still on the coaching staff, this team isn’t going anywhere this season. Sure, they’re 3-2 and might go to a bowl game. But with games against Ole Miss, Alabama, Arkansas and Texas A&M still on the schedule, it’s hard to see the Tigers going to any notable bowl game after the regular season.

Fournette isn’t going to get a big national stage for potentially his final game as a college athlete, so it might not be the best move to suit up.

Sep 3, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) leaps over Wisconsin Badgers safety Leo Musso (19) during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

2. Risk of Another Injury

There are few positions where players careers can end as quickly as a running back. The injury to former South Carolina star Marcus Lattimore is still fresh in everyone’s minds after his torn ACL eventually wound up completely derailing his NFL career.

Yes, Fournette is only dealing with an ankle sprain, but the fact that he already re-aggravated the injury against Auburn is a concern. If he keeps coming out and re-injuring his ankle, scouts are going to have a lot of questions about it once the NFL Scouting Combine comes around.

Besides the ankle, there are so many other ways a running back can go down. He could get rolled up on my an opponent or teammate, suffer a non-contact injury or even go through what Nick Chubb dealt with last year when he broke his leg.

We have seen a star athlete go down and ruin his career too many times before he ever gets a chance to earn a living. Fournette such a rare talent that it doesn’t seem fair for him to go out there and risk his livelihood if he’s still trying to recover from his ankle injury.

Dec 29, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) catches the ball and runs for a touchdown against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the second quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

1. He’s Already a Top-5 Pick

Make no mistake, when Leonard Fournette is healthy, he’s the best player (not just running back) in college football. As a sophomore last season, Fournette was able to run for an incredible 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns despite opposing defenses stacking the box against him. This year, Fournette has still gone for 386 yards and two scores in just three games while dealing with the sprained ankle.

Even in a loaded class of running backs, Fournette stands out as the No. 1 back and No. 2 overall prospect on my NFL draft big board. He’s the complete package coming in at 6’1” and 235 pounds while possessing elite vision, strength and acceleration.

Fournette doesn’t need to play another down in college football because he’s already a lock for a top-five pick. In fact, scouts would probably be more concerned with Fournette if he continues to pick up another 200 carries on that bad ankle.

We all remember how good Montee Ball looked out of Wisconsin, but his 900 carries in college wound up wearing him out by the time he got to the next level.

LSU fans will be coming after me, but if Fournette is serious about being a potential Hall of Fame running back in the NFL, he should sit out the rest of the year.