Tre Bradford Returning to LSU…Again

Third time’s the charm?

Stop me when you’ve heard this one before: Tre Bradford is returning to the LSU football program.

For what will be the third time since coming out of high school, Bradford is once again (again) an LSU Tiger. College football is in a new era with the transfer portal and all that, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a more bizarre career.

Let’s rewind the clock. Bradford signed with LSU as a four-star, top-15 running back out of high school in 2020. Bradford’s freshman year was his most productive as he carried the ball 10 times for 58 yards, caught three passes and scored his one and only collegiate touchdown in LSU’s win over Florida.

Following the 2020 season, Bradford left the program for the first time and transferred to Oklahoma. Bradford was with the Sooners for about two months, but transferred back to LSU before ever playing a down for Oklahoma.

Bradford was barely on the field at all in 2021, only getting two carries for 11 yards. Despite the coaching change from Ed Orgeron to Brian Kelly, Bradford stayed with the program and was with the team during spring ball. Bradford then left for the second time last August, and we’re still not exactly sure why. Kelly could not give specifics when asked about it.

“Tre has been separated from the university, and there are laws that I can’t get into specifics there,” Kelly said. “But he is no longer on the roster.”

Where did Bradford spend the 2022 season? Who knows, and that’s what makes this story even weirder. Bradford is a redshirt sophomore so including this year he has three more years of eligibility.

But for now, Bradford is back in the purple and gold and I’m happy to have him back. How much playing time he’ll have remains to be seen because the LSU running back room is stacked. The Tigers are welcoming back Josh Williams, John Emery, and Armoni Goodwin; they also signed incoming freshmen Trey Holly and Kaleb Jackson; and on top of that, the Tigers will also welcome in Notre Dame transfer Logan Diggs.