Ad Disclosure
In his sophomore season, Harold Perkins has improved as a linebacker this season.
Perkins has 32 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and an interception on the season. But for Brian Kelly, the area he has grown the most doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet.
During the SEC coaches teleconference Wednesday, Kelly had high praise for the way Perkins has improved in his coverages.
“Because of proximity, in terms of being space, it forces him to get his hands on wide receivers,” Kelly said. “To play in a — when you’re playing in the box, if you will, if you can use that term, between the tackles, dropping becomes really a larger degree very limited. Because you’re working from the hash into the boundary to the middle of the field. Whereas when you’re working 2/3 of the field like he does, because he’s always to the field, he’s got to get out to the hash, he’s got to carry vertical routes, he’s got to get out to the flat, he’s got to get to the hook. Really forces you to be competent in a lot of different areas, he’s got to do a lot of different things. So that’s really helped him because he’s patrolling so much more field than he was when he was playing inside the tackle box.”
LSU’s secondary has been a big question mark this season, but Perkins has helped out with that by playing outside the tackle box and defending receivers down the field.
The Tigers’ defense still has a long way to go, but strong play from young players like Perkins has helped them improve.
This week, LSU will take on Army before getting a week off with the bye. After a dominant win over Auburn and what should be an easy win against Army, LSU can expect to go into the bye week with confidence before one of its biggest games of the season against Alabama.
