re: It's year 3 and coaching staff still has no clue what to do with Harold Perkins

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Sorry you’re miserable & hate LSU. Be a better fan

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So let me get this straight. I’m valuing LSU winning over everything, you are valuing draft stock over winning, and I’m the one that hates LSU?

Nah, the whole “use them incorrectly & go 9-3 again” just makes you sound like the sky is falling bc our LB didn’t dominate against an FCS school. The sky is falling. Our defense sucks again.

Maybe hope for the best & let the season play out

I think the coaches and the team have given Harold a lot of leeway to figure out his best position. Things haven’t really worked out the way everybody would’ve hoped so I think it’s time to move on do what is best for the team.

My opinion is that would be putting him in the long yard his packages and let him rush the passer and things like that.

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Will you change your tune when they trot him out at the star position for the majority of snaps when we hit the SEC schedule?

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Why does this board just assume Perkins can jump to an entirely different position that he hasn't played and per On3, didn't get any reps at during the offseason?

I am hoping for the best. And I am rooting for LSU to win every game. But it’s frustrating to watch a player like Harold Perkins be the lowest graded player on the team, when he could possibly be used in a way that helps LSU more.

Do you disagree with the thought that as of now, it looks like LSU is on track to go 9-3 for the 3rd straight year?

As you can see recruiting is a bit over rated

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I think that’s the point of this thread. They have had 3 offseasons and 2 seasons to figure out how to use him and they still haven’t done it. It’s not our fault that he hasn’t been tried at other positions.

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IMO they can't figure out how to use him because he doesn't really have a position.

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Is it possible that they have tried to do what Perkins wants to do but he isn't capable? You can teach technique but you can't teach instincts. If I didn't watch Blake Baker turn Damone Clark into a stud I'd be much more willing to blame coaching but Baker knows how to simplify things for a LBer so they can play fast.

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Clark was a good player in 2019. Then Orgeron completely changed the defensive scheme/approach and Clark suddenly looked awful. That remained the case throughout 2020 and the first part of 2021. Then, ahead of the Alabama game, LSU went away from O's ridiculous approach. They all of a sudden looked like a completely different defense. Most notably, Clark who, for the last month of the season looked like maybe the best LB in all of college football. It wasn't that "Baker turned him into a stud". It's that he was finally put in a position to succeed.

Savion Jones looked lost and unathletic last season in House's awful approach. New season, new approach, and the guy looks like the most dominant LSU defender in the first game! In 2018 Joe Burrow was a very average SEC QB in 2018...in a very bland and predictable offensive approach. Once a completely new approach was implemented in 2019 the guy becomes the best player in college football.

Good coaches put their players in the best position for the PLAYER to succeed based upon the player's strengths. Unfortunately, for Perkins, that seems to be limited to being a situational edge rusher. He's too small to be an every down ILB and not instinctive/fluid enough in coverage to be a safety. Maybe the "star" position could work for him. But I think what you are seeing over the course of, now, two coaching staffs is the coaches are seeing he's more of a situational player but they are reluctant to take him off the field in adverse situations.

Look at a guy like Isaiah Simmons. At Clemson he was a tremendous LB. He was 6'4, but had the athleticism of a DB, running a sub 4.4 forty. He was an All American and the defensive POY. NFL teams were eager to draft him...and the Cardinals did at No. 8. The first non "premium" (QB, CB, DE, OT) player taken. Then Arizona realized they couldn't figure out where to play him. He was not a great LB or a safety. 5 years later he's a backup safety for the Giants.

Some guys, unfortunately, fall in that "tweener" mold. With every passing game it looks more and more like that's where Perkins is

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Why does this board just assume Perkins can jump to an entirely different position that he hasn't played and per On3, didn't get any reps at during the offseason?

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The Star isn’t that much different than the Sam Lb position Perkins played last year. He played a ton of coverage snaps and was really good at it.

Last year they would just use him as the nickel in passing downs instead of putting another corner or safety there. He has plenty of experience in space.

The star position would give us flexibility with Perkins, and he could rush the passer or drop into coverage.

Kelly is to blame some for Perkins development. The largest part of the blame is Perkins and his handlers for forcing the MLB thing for the last 2 years.

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There were plenty of complaints about his usage and production last year as well

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There’s always gonna be complaints about his usage. This board thinks Perkins should get 5 sacks a game, a pick, and forced fumble ever time he steps on the field.

He was more productive outside than he was inside because that’s his skill set.