LSU football took care of business Saturday night, rolling past McNeese State 63-14 in a game that gave the Tigers plenty of opportunities to evaluate some of their less-heralded contributors.
LSU finished the night with 731 yards of total offense, including 367 rushing yards and 364 through the air. The Tigers also went 9-for-17 on third down and scored touchdowns on all seven of their trips inside the red zone.
With LSU improving to 4-1 and preparing to return to SEC play against Kentucky, there were plenty of players who strengthened their case for a bigger role.
But not every player helped his standing.
From a receiver who made a major jump from his previous production to a running back who turned limited opportunities into explosive plays, here are LSU players whose stock moved following the Tigers' win over McNeese State.
Oct 3, 2026; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers running back Stacy Gage (23) rushes against the McNeese Cowboys during the second half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Gage did not need many opportunities to make an impression.
The LSU running back carried the ball just six times against McNeese State but finished with 110 yards and two touchdowns. His 18.3 yards-per-carry average was the best mark among LSU players with multiple rushing attempts.
Gage broke loose for a 46-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter before adding a 39-yard touchdown less than three minutes later. Those two plays accounted for 85 of his 110 rushing yards.
With LSU already getting strong production from its running back room, Gage's ability to create explosive plays gives the Tigers another option as the schedule gets tougher.
Corey Barber Jr 83, The LSU Tigers take on the McNeese Cowboys. October 3, 2026; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; at Tiger Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Corey Barber Jr. entered Saturday night with just one catch through LSU's first three games. He left Tiger Stadium looking like another young receiver the Tigers may need to get more involved.
The true freshman caught seven passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns in LSU's 63-14 win over McNeese State. Both touchdowns came from Sam Leavitt in the second quarter, with Barber scoring from six and 12 yards out.
His seven catches led LSU, while his 83 receiving yards also led the team. The performance was a significant jump from what Barber had produced previously, as he entered the game with just one reception for 15 yards.
McNeese is obviously a different challenge than LSU will face in SEC play, but Barber gave the Tigers another young option in an already talented receiver room. For a freshman who had barely been involved entering the weekend, seven catches and two touchdowns are difficult to overlook.
Running back Harlem Berry 22, The LSU Tigers take on the McNeese Cowboys. October 3, 2026; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; at Tiger Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Harlem Berry did not need a huge workload against McNeese State to make an impact, but he made the most of his opportunities. The sophomore running back carried 15 times for a career-high 125 yards and a touchdown in LSU's 63-14 win.
Berry's biggest moment came in the third quarter when he broke through for an 11-yardtouchdown, extending LSU's lead to 49-0. He averaged 8.3 yards per carry and helped keep the Tigers' rushing attack rolling throughout the night.
The performance was another reminder of the explosiveness Berry brings to LSU's offense. Even with the Tigers spreading carries around the backfield, he continued to turn opportunities into chunk plays.
McNeese is obviously a different challenge than LSU will face in SEC play, but Berry's career night gives the Tigers another reason to keep finding ways to get him involved as the schedule gets tougher.
Jackson Harris 4, The LSU Tigers take on the McNeese Cowboys. October 3, 2026; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; at Tiger Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Harris had one of LSU's best individual performances against Texas A&M, so McNeese provided an opportunity to build on that momentum.
Instead, his production dipped.
Harris finished Saturday with four catches for 37 yards, a significant drop from the 163-yard, two-touchdown performance he had against the Aggies the previous week. His longest reception against McNeese went for 20 yards.
That does not erase what Harris did against Texas A&M, and four receptions are hardly a poor performance. But with LSU's passing game spreading the ball around, Harris did not get the same explosive opportunities he had one week earlier.
His stock probably did not fall dramatically, given the outcome and rotation of players in the game, but this was not the type of performance that continued the momentum from his breakout game.
Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/lsu as LSU Stock Report: Who Helped and Hurt Themselves Against McNeese State .
