Safety T[autotag]odd Harris[/autotag] committed to LSU on February 1, 2017.
It was national signing day — Ed Oregon’s first as LSU head coach. Harris was part of a defensive back class that included [autotag]Grant Delpit[/autotag], [autotag]Jacoby Stevens[/autotag] and [autotag]Kary Vincent[/autotag].
On the other side of the ball, it was the class that gave LSU [autotag]Justin Jefferson[/autotag] and [autotag]Clyde Edwards-Helaire[/autotag]. If that feels like a long time ago, it’s because it was. Delpit, Jefferson, and Edwards-Helaire are now in their third year in the NFL.
Harris is the lone player from the 2017 recruiting class to remain with LSU.
When Harris got his offer in April 2015, [autotag]Les Miles[/autotag] was head coach. The top-grossing movie that weekend was the second installment in the Avengers franchise, and Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s ‘See You Again’ was Billboard’s top song.
Barack Obama was still the president, and the most recent iPhone was the iPhone 6.
You get the point: Harris’ LSU journey began a long time ago.
Since he received that offer, he’s seen Miles fired and replaced by [autotag]Ed Orgeron[/autotag]. He intercepted Tua Tagovailoa in what was just Tua’s first year as the starter.
He missed significant time with an ACL injury but was a member of LSU’s title team and watched 2020 get upended by a global pandemic. He remained with LSU through yet another coaching change, with Orgeron heading out and Brian Kelly coming in.
He hasn’t been a part of the secondary rotation this year, but he’s stuck around. He’s going to leave LSU with a championship ring and a degree. Harris has had what you could call a full career, seeing it all. Some good, some really good. Some bad, and some really bad.
Senior Night ceremonies will occur on Saturday night as LSU hosts UAB in its final home game. Senior Night is meant to honor the Todd Harrises of the world.
Harris will be joined by [autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag], another guy who’s seen it all but followed a more linear career path.
In Kelly’s first few months on the job, Baskerville’s role was unclear. Reports from spring practice and training camp highlighted the emergence of [autotag]Greg Penn III[/autotag] and the eye-popping ability of [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag].
Baskerville was one of the best linebackers in the SEC in 2021. It was difficult to imagine him not being a key part of the defense in 2022, but for a moment in time, it looked like that would be the case.
Sometime in-between spring and the first few games of the fall, things turned around for Baskerville. He’s been the best coverage linebacker in the SEC while adding nine pressures and 23 stops.
Kelly took the time to highlight Baskerville at his press conference this week. Kelly said when his staff first arrived, the reports regarding Baskerville weren’t great.
“Everybody was like, ‘well, he doesn’t go to class, he doesn’t do this, he doesn’t do that,'” Kelly said. “And he’s been amazing, he’s gotten his degree, he’s been a great leader, he’s been inspirational in everything he’s done.”
Harris and Baskerville aren’t the only seniors who will be honored on Saturday night. Here are some other notable names and stories to reflect on during the festivities.
Note: This is not a comprehensive list, and some players going through the ceremony still have remaining eligibility. Likewise, Kelly said players may choose to leave who are not participating.