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A list of the top 10 breakout candidates for the 2023 season was released on Thursday by PFF’s Trevor Sikkema. Georgia and LSU had two players each featured.
For Georgia it was edge rusher Mykel Williams and DB Kamari Lassiter. Williams contributed in all 15 games for the Bulldogs.
Here’s what PFF had to say about Williams’ chances of a breakout year:
Williams was the No. 4 overall recruit in the 2022 recruiting class, according to 247Sports. Despite being just a true freshman, Williams got on the field amid a talented Georgia defensive line. He recorded a 72.3 overall grade with a 66.0 pass-rush grade, but he had four games where he recorded a pass-rush win percentage above 20%. Watch for him to be one of the biggest breakout stars in the 2023 season.
PFF is high on former 4-star prospect Kamari Lassiter. PFF believes that Lassiter’s veteran presence will do the Bulldogs a lot of good.
A former four-star prospect, Lassiter has been contributing to the Bulldogs’ defense since his true freshman season. Now a junior, he’s coming off a 2022 season where he started 15 games. He recorded a 74.9 overall grade with an 80.9 run-defense grade and a 73.2 coverage grade. At 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, he played more than 700 snaps as the Bulldogs’ outside cornerback opposite Kelee Ringo, who departed via the 2023 NFL Draft. With a year of starting experience under his belt, he’s poised to break out in 2023.
On the LSU side it was DT Maason Smith and LB Harold Perkins Jr.
Smith should be ready to prove his worth after missing the majority of 2022 with an ACL tear.
Smith was a highly coveted player on the recruiting trail. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound interior defensive lineman was a five-star recruit and the No. 31 overall player in the 2021 recruiting class, according to 247Sports. He played in nine games his true freshman season with four starts. Last year was supposed to be his big breakout, but he suffered an ACL tear in the first game of the season that forced him to miss the entire year. If fully healthy, he is once again poised to be a big-time breakout player.
Perkins achieved a high pass-rush grade of 91.1 last season. His stat line from a year ago was 72 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and 1 interception.
A monster year could be on the horizon for Perkins, according to PFF:
Perkins was a five-star recruit and the No. 5 overall player in the 2022 recruiting class. He played 501 total snaps as a true freshman — the 11th most on LSU’s defense. Pass rushing is where he made his money last year, as he earned a 91.1 pass-rush grade on 154 such snaps. He was versatile in his alignment, recording 202 snaps on the defensive line as an outside linebacker, 177 in the box as an off-ball linebacker and even 115 snaps aligned in the slot. He’s one of the most athletically gifted players in the country, ready to make a major name for himself in 2023.
Grant Bricker was a former freelancer for The News TN in his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. He now freelances for Saturday Football. Follow on Twitter @GrantBricker.
