Two 18s and two 7s in 2024
Right as I was going to go to bed Thursday night, LSU announced the recipients of the hallowed No. 18 jersey and handed out another No. 7.
Running back Josh Williams and linebacker Greg Penn III will both wear the No. 18 jersey this year. If this is your first LSU football season, the No. 18 is maybe the single biggest honor the football program can bestow on a player. The 18 is given out to the person who best represents what it means to be a Tiger and Williams and Penn both fit the bill.
Williams is a sixth-year senior and one of two remaining players from LSU’s 2019 national championship team. He started his career as a walk on, earned a scholarship, and has had an amazing LSU career. He’s rushed for over 1,000 yards in his career with 11 touchdowns, represented LSU at SEC Media Days this summer in Dallas, and forever and always will be in 18 club.
Penn is the unquestioned leader of the LSU defense and has been starting for LSU since he was a freshman. He was a four-star coming out of high school and the Baltimore native has 178 tackles in 37 career games with 27 starts.
It’s the first time LSU has had a number 18 on both sides of the ball since Lloyd Cushenberry and K’Lavon Chaisson shared the honor in 2019. We all remember how that year ended so here’s hoping lightning strikes twice.
In somewhat surprising news, it was also revealed that Harold Perkins will wear the No. 7 jersey this year. The 7’s become just as iconic as the 18 as some notable names have worn the number over the past 15 years like Patrick Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu, Leonard Fournette, and Grant Delpit. The 7 is given to the biggest playmaker on the team, and Brian Kelly has made it to where it goes specifically to a player from the state of Louisiana. Perkins fits the bill as he was born in New Orleans. This also means Perkins will have worn three different numbers in three seasons at LSU.
For the first time ever, LSU will have two No. 7s because remember Will Campbell has a 7 patched onto his jersey. Campbell got the honor last year but can’t actually wear the number during games since offensive linemen aren’t allowed to. Also this picture rules
7Era @HP113k ✖️ @will_campbell66 pic.twitter.com/scIQ1AZJed
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) August 23, 2024
Someone check my math but I think 18+18+7+7= undefeated national champions.