Harold Perkins shares what it means to wear No. 7 at LSU

LSU linebacker Harold Perkins, on top of being on of the better and more important individual defenders in college football, is getting a special team honor. In 2024, Perkins will don the storied No. 7 jersey for LSU.

It’s a number that’s been popularized in Baton Rouge by a succession of top-notch defensive players. And after going to offensive tackle Will Campbell last year, the No. 7 has found its way back to the defense.

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For Perkins, the honor of continuing this tradition isn’t lost.

“It means a lot, especially since, like you said, the guys that wore it before me: Tyrann, Sting, Delpit, those guys — electric players, like myself. And it’s an honor for me to wear it,” Perkins said.

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As Perkins alluded to, several defensive stars popularized the number, starting with Patrick Peterson. After him came Tyrann Mathieu, AKA “Honey Badger.” And while others to follow Mathieu haven’t been Heisman contenders, the likes of Derek Stingley Jr. and Grant Delpit certainly did the number proud during their time with the Tigers.

And Perkins will now bring the No. 7 closer to the line of scrimmage in his linebacker and occasional pass rushing role.

In two seasons at LSU, Perkins has appeared in all 17 possible games and recorded 26 tackles for loss, 13 of them sacks. He’s also got a pair of interceptions and seven passes defended during that span.

LSU is working through some injuries ahead of the opener

LSU will look to snap their four-year stretch of dropping their season opener on Sunday when they square off against USC at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. A matchup featuring two preseason Top 25 ranked teams looking to break in new starting quarterbacks and revamped defensive units.

Week 1 is typically the time of the year when teams are at their healthiest, but injuries are unavoidable during fall camp heading into the season. And ahead of their matchup with the Trojans, LSU head coach Brian Kelly revealed two players that will appear on the injury report during game week.

“From an injury standpoint, we have one guy that is questionable and that’s Chris Hilton. He has a bone bruise, he is working through that process, but today he’ll be listed in that category,” Kelly said on Monday. “Probable would be [Miles] Frazier our offensive guard. Those are the two right now that would show up on our injury report relative to this week.”

Hilton is expected to be a major contributor in the LSU passing game this season following the departure of the team’s top two, dominant wide receivers last season. With the duo of Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. both selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft after combining for 2,746 yards and 32 touchdowns last season.

Last year Hilton caught 13 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns in his 11 game appearances that included two starts. Expected to play an increased role this upcoming season in LSU’s wide receiver room as an exceptional athlete and one of the fastest overall players in college football.

Hilton being available for Week 1 would be huge for LSU’s offense and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier ahead of his first full season as a starter, and so would Frazier. Who enters his third season as a starter on LSU’s offensive line that many regard as one of the best units in the country this football season.

Frazier is a fifth-year senior who started off his career at Florida International, where he was named a Freshman All-America before joining the Tigers. Playing a crucial role the past two seasons in shoring up interior pressure and creating lanes in the run game for LSU’s ball caries.