One of the stories of the 2023 offseason for LSU has been how star defender [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] will be used this fall.
He emerged as a pass rusher last year but in the spring, he worked as an inside linebacker. Defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag] said Perkins came to LSU to learn how to play inside backer, and that’s where he was getting his reps.
Perkins is too good as a pass rusher to completely ignore that aspect of his game. In the spring, House said Perkins would still work with [autotag]John Jancek[/autotag] and the outside linebackers in pass-rush packages.
But we’ll also see Perkins rushing more from the inside too.
At SEC media days, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] spoke about his hopes for Perkins in 2023. Kelly said teams could slide their pass protection to Perkins’ side last year, giving the offense a numbers advantage on the edge while using a running back to protect on the other side.
Opponents could do this because, as Kelly puts it, “We really didn’t have an inside guy that could win every single one on one matchup.”
Getting [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] back changes that. The staff believes he can be a pass-rushing force on the interior. That allows more flexibility for Perkins.
You could rush Perkins up the middle and guarantee he’s one on one. From the outside, teams have a decision to make: Slide outside to block Perkins, or double-team Smith on the interior.
With Perkins and Smith, LSU has two versatile players that can do it all up front. That wasn’t the case last year with Smith out and Perkins just beginning to get his feet wet at this level.
Expect LSU’s defense to take another step forward with these two on the field together now.
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