JD PicKell: What Harold Perkins' versatility means for LSU

The expectations for LSU linebacker Harold Perkins heading into his sophomore year are as high as maybe any defender in the college football landscape. Perkins’ last few weeks of his freshman year electrified Tigers fans and put fear in the eyes of others in the SEC.

One of Perkins specialities is his versatility. The dynamic athlete can do a lot of different things in defense, whether it’s rushing the passer, setting the edge, spying the quarterback and a whole lot more.

But as On3’s JD PicKell explains, that versatility means a lot for an LSU team set to play a diverse set of quarterbacks.

“What does it mean for LSU?” PicKell said. “Now they play a lot of quarterbacks that are going to be mobile. Whoever ends up starting at Ole Miss — whether it’s Jackson Dart or Spencers Sanders — they got some wiggle. Auburn: Payton thorne, he’s got some wiggle. Arkansas: KJ Jefferson, a load to bring down. Potentially a quarterback with some wiggle at Alabama depending on who starts. They’re gonna need him to play a serviceable role there to try and neutralize that. You feel much better going into those games with Harold Perkins than you would if you didn’t have him. He’s the answer for what they want to do offensively for what you do defensively.”

Perkins finished the 2022 season with 72 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks and four forced fumbles.

Most of that production came during the second half of the year, which PicKell said adds another dynamic to consider heading into 2023.

“Here’s the other thing for LSU,” PicKell said. “Harold Perkins really came on at the end of the year. I don’t know that he was able to really impact the bottom line statistically as much for LSU on the defensive side of the ball. LSU was 88th in the country in terms of sacks on the season. They were 90th in the country in takeaways per game. Sacks and takeaways, that’s Harold Perkins’ middle name. So if Harold Perkins is able to be a gamechanger on that side of the ball for LSU. If he changes the outlook on defense for LSU — they get more sacks, they get more takeaways — LSU is going to be an SEC title contender yet again. They’ll be better equipped when they get to that game because of the havoc he’s able to wreck because of what you have to account for as an offense when number four is on the field.”