The Tigers return a lot of talent on both sides of the ball in 2023. Some of that is more or less proven at this point.
Especially on offense, we know what we’re going to get from [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag], at least to an extent. On defense, there’s a bit more projection involved given some personnel changes. But the Tigers bring two players back on that side who could be set for massive campaigns.
Pro Football Focus included both [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] among its 10 potential breakout candidates in 2023.
Smith, a former five-star recruit, dotted many of these lists last offseason. It may have materialized had he not torn his ACL on the opening drive of the season. Now, Smith is back and may finally be set to have that massive season everyone has been waiting for.
Smith was a highly coveted player on the recruiting trail. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound interior defensive lineman was a five-star recruit and the No. 31 overall player in the 2021 recruiting class, according to 247Sports. He played in nine games his true freshman season with four starts. Last year was supposed to be his big breakout, but he suffered an ACL tear in the first game of the season that forced him to miss the entire year. If fully healthy, he is once again poised to be a big-time breakout player.
Perkins, meanwhile, was already a dominant player in his own right by the end of his true freshman season. Still raw, he was mostly utilized as a pass-rushing specialist but will likely see an expanded role that features more off-ball snaps this season.
Perkins was a five-star recruit and the No. 5 overall player in the 2022 recruiting class. He played 501 total snaps as a true freshman — the 11th most on LSU’s defense. Pass rushing is where he made his money last year, as he earned a 91.1 pass-rush grade on 154 such snaps. He was versatile in his alignment, recording 202 snaps on the defensive line as an outside linebacker, 177 in the box as an off-ball linebacker and even 115 snaps aligned in the slot. He’s one of the most athletically gifted players in the country, ready to make a major name for himself in 2023.
Both Smith and Perkins could become two of the top defensive players in college football this season, and between them and players like [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag] and [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag], LSU has the makings of a very good front seven.
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