When the LSU Tigers take the field for their long-awaited season opener against Florida State in Orlando, there will be one player the entire country is excited to see: sophomore linebacker [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag].
The Cypress, Texas, native was a top-five prospect coming out of high school, and he was easily the biggest win in Brian Kelly’s transition class in 2022. After totaling 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles as a true freshman, many see Perkins as a candidate to break out into one of the best players in the country.
Brad Crawford of 247Sports is one who feels that way. In the site’s rankings of the top 32 players in college football this season, Perkins came in at fifth.
I’m heading to the SEC West for the first defensive player off the board. This guy is electric and will be all over the field this fall. I think he could have a Will Anderson-like sophomore season after starring as a five-star true freshman during the second half of the 2022 campaign.
Perkins has spent the offseason working on playing off-ball linebacker after mostly being used as a pass-rushing specialist in 2022. If he can become a more consistent run-stopper and coverage player, he could easily be the nation’s most dynamic defensive player.
As a true sophomore, Perkins isn’t eligible for the draft after this season, meaning he could be about to deliver two years of elite play for the Tigers.
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