Tigers lead way with six selections on 2022 SEC Coaches All-Freshman team

LSU landed a league-best six LSU players the Freshman All-SEC Team as voted on by the league’s coaches, the conference office announced Thursday.

The six LSU players on the team also led the league with Georgia following with five.

LSU’s list of freshmen on the team include three offensive players, two specialist and one defender. The group includes offensive tackles Will Campbell and Emery Jones, Jr., tight end Mason Taylor, linebacker Harold Perkins Jr., along with kicker Damian Ramos and kickoff specialist Nathan Dibert.

The freshman SEC honor is the second for both Campbell and Perkins this week as they were both named second team All-SEC at their respective positions Tuesday by the league’s coaches. Additionally, Perkins earned first team All-SEC honors from the Associated Press.

Perkins led the Tigers in both sacks (6.5) and tackles for loss (11.5). He finished third on the team in tackles with 69. He tied for team-high honors with 13 quarterback hurries. Perkins capped his rookie regular-season with a career-best 10 tackles, including 1.5 for losses, and a fumble recovery against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game.

Campbell, one of four true freshmen in the LSU starting lineup, started 12 games at left tackle for the Tigers in 2022. Campbell became the first true freshman in LSU history to start a season-opener at left tackle and he set the school record for starts by a true freshman offensive lineman with 12.

He was named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week for his play in the win over Florida.

Campbell helped pave the way for an LSU rushing attack that averaged 181 yards per game, which included an LSU quarterback rushing record of 818 yards by Jayden Daniels. Daniels also set the LSU record for rushing TDs by a quarterback with 11.

Jones took over as the starter at right tackle in week 3 against Mississippi State and started the final 10 games at the position for the Tigers. The Tigers posted an 8-2 mark with Campbell and Jones in the starting lineup.

Taylor, who caught the game-winning two-point conversion in overtime against Alabama, hauled in 33 passes for 326 yards and a pair of TDs. He ranks No. 5 on LSU’s single-season reception list for tight ends and is just two catches shy of tying the LSU freshman mark. Taylor, a native of Plantation, Florida, started LSU’s final 12 game of the season and caught at least one pass in 12 games.

Ramos took over as LSU’s starting kicker in August and finished the season connecting on 10-of-14 field goals and 48-of-50 point-after touchdowns. He drilled a season long 47-yard field goal against Florida.

Dibert appeared in 10 games, assuming LSU’s kickoff specialist duties against New Mexico in week 4. On 50 kickoffs, Dibert averaged 63.3 yards per kick with 31 of those going for touchbacks.

FRESHMAN ALL-SEC TEAM

Offense
QB – Robby Ashford, Auburn
RB – Quinshon Judkins, Ole Miss
RB – Trevor Etienne, Florida
WR – Evan Stewart, Texas A&M
WR – Barion Brown, Kentucky
TE – Mason Taylor, LSU
OL – Will Campbell, LSU
OL – Emery Jones Jr., LSU
OL – Tyler Booker, Alabama
OL – Jager Burton, Kentucky
C – Matthew Wykoff, Texas A&M
AP – Barion Brown, Kentucky

Defense
DL – Mykel Williams, Georgia
DL – Jaheim Oatis, Alabama
DL – Deone Walker, Kentucky
DL – Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
LB – Harold Perkins Jr., LSU
LB – Jalon Walker, Georgia
LB – Shemar James, Florida*
LB – Chris Paul Jr., Arkansas*
DB – Malaki Starks, Georgia
DB – Terrion Arnold, Alabama
DB – Quincey McAdoo, Arkansas
DB – Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina

Special Teams
PK – Damian Ramos, LSU
P – Brett Thorson, Georgia
RS – Barion Brown, Kentucky
KOS – Nathan Dibert, LSU
LS – Eli Stein, Arkansas

(* – Ties)