According to the PFF, LSU had the best true freshman class in the nation in 2022

Brian Kelly inherited a mess of a roster situation when he took the LSU job in November 2021.

The Tigers had just 39 Texas Bowl scholars available that season, but through a series of quality additions, Kelly quickly rebuilt the roster. Many of these additions were veterans, seasoned transfers, but LSU also received plenty of help from their class of true freshmen.

Harold Perkins emerged as one of the nation’s most explosive and disruptive pass rushers while Will Campbell And Emery Jones did the unthinkable and started as true freshmen at the tackle spots for an SEC team.

Mason Taylor also emerged as a legitimate option in the passing game and made the most memorable game of the season to win the game Alabama.

It’s no surprise that Pro Football Focus ranked the Tigers’ 2022 freshmen as the best in the nation.

The Tigers found a couple of budding superstars in the class of 2022 in Harold Perkins and Will Campbell.
Each was a top 15 pick in my mock draft if every college player was eligible. Perkins led all Power Five linebackers with a 91.0 pass rushing score. He was second among all linebackers in the country with 18 quarterback carrydowns (sacks/hit) and finished second in the country with four forced fumbles. Perkins is similar to Micah Parsons in that he can play either linebacker or edge at a very high level. He’s our second best returning linebacker in college football.
Campbell thrived in left tackle for LSU, a difficult task for any SEC player, let alone a true freshman. His 85.6 pass blocking rating on true pass sets was third in the country, behind only Peter Skoronski on power five tackles. Campbell only gave up pressure on 2.7% of his 515 pass-blocking snaps. He’s our sixth best returning offensive tackle in the country.
Both LSU’s right tackle and tight end were also true freshmen in Emery Jones and Mason Taylor.

It’s clear the Tigers have a bright future ahead of them with this group, and all of these players could be poised for a big leap forward in 2023.