Brian Kelly Discusses the Plan for LSU Football After Harold Perkins' Knee Injury

LSU linebacker Harold Perkins is done for the year after suffering a torn ACL. What's next for the defense?

Sep 21, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly looks on during the first half against the UCLA Bruins at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

LSU head coach Brian Kelly spent most of his Monday afternoon press conference discussing the impact of linebacker Harold Perkins' season-ending knee injury.

Perkins suffered a torn ACL in the fourth quarter of the Tigers' victory over UCLA on Saturday.

Now, LSU loses a potential first-round draft selection and impactful defender for the remainder of the year.

What's next for the Bayou Bengals on defense? Who will step up? Will youngsters be forced to step up and lose redshirt status?

Everything Brian Kelly Said Surrounding Perkins' Injury

The Injury: Perkins Done for the Year

“It’s an injury we feel terrible about, especially for Harold and the work he has done to put himself in a great position,” Kelly said. “You lose players all the time, and you just feel terrible for them individually because of all the work and time they have put in.”

"Next Man Up" Approach: Young Players on the Rise

“We will have somebody else step up like we (already have had) this year,” Kelly said. “We lost Jacobian Guillory, and a true freshman in Ahmad Breaux steps in and plays the past three weeks for us. We lose John Emery, and another freshman in Caden Durham steps in and does a good job for us. And, the same thing here. The next guy up will come in and rally and put us in a position where we have success, as well. These are difficult, but we have really good players who come here and can step in and fill in for LSU and move forward.”

How Does the Scheme Change? What's the Defensive Package Now?

“If we want to play three linebackers on the field, the first guy that would move out there would be Whit Weeks (SAM), then West Weeks would move to MIKE linebacker and Greg Penn would play WILL. So, if we wanted to be in 'Buffalo', we are still in a really good position. We would probably activate Xavier Atkins as the next WILL in that type of situation. So, that’s what we would be in if we wanted to stay in the configuration that we were currently in (vs. UCLA).

“We would probably look at, also, going back into a STAR position with Major Burns playing the STAR, backed up by Kylin Jackson. That would be the other look we have. So, we have the versatility to be in either one of those defensive structures.”

Development of the Freshmen Players

“I think they are developing at the pace they should be,” Kelly said. “You saw Dominick McKinley in action, and you are going to see more guys who we gradually bring along to get involved in more action, because the schedule is obviously going to be robust.

“This has been about building our football team, knowing our strengths and weaknesses, the things we have to better at in all phases of the game … but at the same time developing some of the younger players so that when we have to call on them, we can get the kind of play necessary to win SEC games.”

More LSU News:

Instant Takeaways: No. 16 LSU Takes Down UCLA 34-17 in Big-Time Victory

The Game Plan: A Look Into How LSU Will Utilize Whit Weeks Alongside Harold Perkins

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

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