Former Penn State running back Noah Cain announced on Thursday night his intentions to transfer to LSU, adding a blue-chip prospect to Brian Kelly’s running back room in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. News broke earlier this week that Cain, a former four-star prospect out of the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, was in the transfer portal and on Thursday night he took to Twitter to name LSU as his preferred destination.
Cain was Penn State’s second-leading rusher during his junior season this fall and led the team in rushing touchdowns. He was ranked as the No. 98 overall prospect and No. 6 running back in the 2019 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite, and showcased that high-end potential during a breakout freshman season in 2019.
As a backup to Journey Brown for most of the year, Cain set a Penn State freshman record with eight rushing touchdowns in 10 games, totaling more than 100 yards twice in conference play and finishing the season with 92 yards and two touchdowns against Memphis in the Cotton Bowl. Cain was expected to be the lead back in 2020 but he suffered a season-ending injury in the first game and was out or limited for most of 2021 spring practice.
LSU already has plenty of options in the running back room with John Emery, Corey Kiner, Armoni Goodwin and Kevontre Bradford on board at the moment. But Cain’s potential based on his prospect rating and freshman season is strong enough to be a major factor in the Tigers’ offense for Brian Kelly’s first season. LSU has seen plenty of transfer portal action with players leaving in the wake of the coaching change, so picking up this transfer win is big for the Tigers’ efforts to solidify the roster for 2022.
