Running back Jeremy Hill left LSU for the NFL, but he always will have a piece of LSU in his heart -- and on his back.
Hill, who was a second-round pick by Cincinnati Bengals in May's draft, tweeted out a picture of a LSU-related tattoo on his back.
Yes, that is a tattoo of LSU's Tiger Stadium. And it's a safe bet that it took a while to finish the tattoo, so no one can question Hill's love of his alma mater.
Hill led LSU in rushing in each of the past two seasons. Last fall, he ran for 1,401 yards and 16 TDs, finishing second in the league in each category. It's tough enough finding a capable replacement for a guy who rushed for 1,400 yards, but given LSU's circumstances, it's vital this season. The Tigers also lost their two best wide receivers, their starting quarterback and their best interior lineman, so finding a feature back is going to be important.
The leading candidate appears to be highly touted true freshman Leonard Fournette (6-foot-1, 224 pounds), who was the consensus top prospect in the nation in 247sports.com's composite recruiting rankings. He was a four-year starter at New Orleans St. Augustine and finished his prep career with 7,619 rushing yards and 88 rushing touchdowns.
Seniors Kenny Hilliard (6-0, 233) and Terrence Magee (5-9, 214) also will be in the hunt for the starting job. Hilliard is a power back at his best between the tackles, while Magee seems best-suited to be a change-of-pace guy. Fournette seems to have the best mix of toughness and home-run ability.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
