SPRING PRACTICE REPORT | How can Harold Perkins & 4-star Javien Toviano impact LSU's defense?

LSU football was back out on the practice field over the weekend and earlier this week and the story of the spring has been overcoming depth issues while several of LSU's starting impact players are working to come back from injury. Safety Greg Brooks had on a walking boot on Saturday and while he shed the boot on Tuesday he was still was not a full participant at practice. Brooks' absence from first-team reps gave true freshman Javien Toviano an opportunity to work with Major Burns, Sage Ryan, and the rest of the safeties. Toviano has worked as a nickel corner and with the safeties so far in practice. How do head coach Brian Kelly and defensive coordinator Matt House view Toviano's role in the secondary, if they even view him as a starter at all?

Plus, another very versatile defensive player is also trying to find his role within the defense. Harold Perkins played a hybrid role last year as he could drop back in coverage, play up close to the line of scrimmage, and work as a quarterback spy in his true freshman season as he got acclimated to the college game. But one thing is clear, Kelly and House want him to play linebacker and want him to play a larger role this season.

"We know Harold has elite ability, but he came here to learn to play linebacker," House told the media. "Not necessarily just a hybrid and the spring is kind of a great time to do that. You learn the techniques and fundamentals...It's going to enhance his game and really it's what he came here to be."

Perkins has worked with the inside linebackers the last few practices but neither Kelly nor House have said definitively that ILB will be Perkins permanent position this season.

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