The LSU Tigers have one of the most dynamic, versatile, and exciting defensive weapons in college football.
I have no idea if they’re utilizing him correctly.
Harold Perkins Jr. looked like a future No. 1 overall pick as a true freshman, flying all over the field and making all kinds of highlight plays.
Then head coach Brian Kelly had the former 5-star recruit switch positions from EDGE to off-ball linebacker. The move left him a bit exposed at times, but overall he still played at a solid level.
Kelly has made it clear that he plans to continue transitioning Perkins to play weak-side linebacker in 2024. A year of experience under his belt, plus another offseason of practice and coaching, could help him reach the next level.
Perkins has filled the stat sheet in his first two college seasons. Along with 146 combined tackles, he’s recorded 13 sacks, six forced fumbles, eight pass breakups, and two interceptions.
Although he primarily served as a pass-rusher as a freshman, Perkins was asked to take on a bigger role in coverage this past season. He quickly acclimated to the role, allowing a passer rating of just 73.1 when targeted according to Pro Football Focus.
There may not be another prospect at the top of the 2025 draft class with a more fascinating profile than Perkins. The film shows the kind of playmaker he can be, even if his role in 2023 minimized his effectiveness.
PROGRAMMING NOTE
You’re probably wondering where the next batch of position rankings are?
They’re coming, but we’ll be scaling back to deep-dives on one player for this week and next.
Fourth of July week, anniversary, birthday, coaching starting back up, and a new puppy(!!) have me running around nonstop for the next couple weeks. But I’ll make sure to keep the newsletter going with another (free!) deep dive on Michigan TE Colston Loveland next week.
Because LB and TE are thinner positions for 2025, we will be skipping their positional rankings, at least for now.
We’ll be back with CB positional rankings the following week.
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Harold Perkins Film
The thing that immediately jumps out on tape with Perkins is how fast he is. His top-end play speed is some of the best on the field at any time, which is almost unheard of for an off-ball linebacker.
That play speed makes Perkins such a nightmare to handle as a blitzer, but also allows him to stay in on every play in pursuit.
It’s also Perkins’ downfield explosiveness that makes him difficult to handle for opposing offenses. He can gear up so quickly that offensive linemen aren’t prepared to account for him in the pass rush as a blitzer, leading to plenty of blown plays.
With those two standout traits as an off-ball linebacker, Perkins looks like a blur off the edge.
These traits can also make him a fairly effective bull rusher, but ideally against smaller running backs trying to operate in pass pro. Perkins is only listed at 6’1” and 220 pounds, but he uses his speed and explosiveness from depth to generate enough momentum, allowing him to launch himself into the bull rush.
While he’s still getting a hang of his coverage responsibilities, Perkins’ movement skills and fluidity have him showing flashes of being a real weapon in certain matchups. He shows real instincts and feel for receivers and their routes, while reading the QB’s eyes to make plays on the ball.
Athleticism can only take a prospect so far, but it’s Perkins’ instincts that have also served him so well in his first two college seasons. Having “a nose for the ball” may sound like generic coach speak, but it’s a real trait for players that keep finding themselves making plays on ball carriers.
Let’s talk about his instincts on these two plays.
Perkins shows both pre- and post-snap processing on these two plays. He recognizes where the ball is going based off pre-snap motion in the first play, then reacts to the skill player firing across the formation in the second one.
In both plays, Perkins maintains outside leverage by getting his hat across the blocker, then has the speed and range to peel off and make a play on the ball carrier. If he’s a tick slower on either of these plays, he’s getting beat for a potentially big gain.
For a player with his skill set, Perkins could very easily be the kind of player desperate to fly up field and make a play. Instead, he understands how important outside containment is for his defense, and consistently engages with blockers while trying to keep his outside shoulder clean.
By emphasizing outside contain, it allows the rest of his teammates to corral a ball carrier whenever they decide cut back inside.
For everything there is to like about Perkins, there are some concerns if he’s going to play off-ball linebacker at the NFL level. His 220-pound frame allows him to fly around the field, but also becomes an issue when it comes to playing inside the box and taking on blockers.
In fairness, that issue may be why Kelly opted to move Perkins around so much. In 2023, PFF charted Perkins with nearly 250 snaps on the defensive line, in the box, and split out in the slot.
There’s still some finer nuances to ILB that Perkins would need to showcase consistently to be viewed as a prospect at that position in the NFL.
However, the athleticism, instincts, and tenacity are special traits, and explain why he’s viewed so highly by scouts everywhere heading into the 2024 season.