[autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] has been a revelation at linebacker this year for the LSU Tigers’ defense.
The former five-star was the prize of the 2022 recruiting class and had a heap of expectations placed on his shoulders before he ever stepped on campus. So far, he has not only lived up to the expectations, but he has far exceeded them.
In two of the biggest games of the season against Ole Miss and Alabama, Perkins terrorized Jaxon Dart and reigning Heisman trophy winner, Bryce Young, earning SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his play against the latter.
Coach Brian Kelly explained how Perkins has developed throughout his true freshman season on the SEC coaches teleconference call.
“So the process was that he came in as an inside linebacker, and I think we identified early on that that was going to take longer for us to get him into the rotation on the field,” Kelly said Wednesday on an SEC teleconference call. “So we moved him to an outside linebacker position, which we felt like was an easier fit for him to pick up what we wanted because we could put him into different packages. Third-down packages, nickel packages, dime packages.
“Then as it evolved to the point that he was making plays and being productive, we had to get to the point where we had base defenses with him on the field.”
I have said it before and I will say it again if Perkins is not a Freshman All-American this year, there is a problem. LSU will travel to Arkansas to take on the Razorbacks this weekend with a chance of locking up the SEC West.
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