Harold Perkins Jr shines in new role with LSU's defense

Harold Perkins Jr is thriving for the LSU Tigers once again. After battling injuries and switching positions, Perkins wasn't reaching his full potential with LSU in recent seasons. But he's now playing the Star position, which has his elite versatility on full display.

Perkins shines in LSU's new-look defense

In 2022 as a true freshman, Perkins put together a sensational rookie campaign that saw him play in all 14 games with eight starts. He took advantage of his opportunity, leading the Tigers with 13 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He ended the season with 72 tackles while also forcing four fumbles and collecting an interception. For his efforts, Perkins was named a True Freshman All-American by ESPN and First-Team All-SEC by the Associated Press.

But after his eye-opening freshman season, then-LSU defensive coordinator Matt House moved Perkins to inside linebacker, but the fit wasn't right. Perkins moved back to EDGE for most of the season and collected 75 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and a team-leading 13 tackles for loss in 2023.

New LSU DC Blake Baker tried to move Perkins back inside to start the 2024 season. But again, the fit didn't work. Perkins didn't record a sack and had only 1.5 tackles for loss in LSU's first four games of the 2024 season before going down with an ACL injury. He missed the rest of the season.

But now in 2025, Perkins is healthy again and playing a new position that saw him thrive against Clemson on Saturday night. Perkins is now playing the Star position on LSU's new-look defense, which is a combination of outside linebacker and slot safety position. The move allows Perkins to display his full versatility by running all over the field to make plays.

Perkins put together an outstanding season opener, and was a key part of LSU's defensive success against Clemson. Perkins recorded five tackles, two quarterback hits, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. He made life extremely difficult on Clemson QB Cade Klubnik, who completed just 50 percent of his passes for 230 yards with one interception and zero touchdowns.

Perkins' efforts helped lead LSU to a massive 17-10 win in which LSU held Clemson off the scoreboard in the second half. Clemson managed just 32 total rushing yards and went just 3-for-13 on third down.

A healthy Harold Perkins Jr has the potential to put together another massive season as a part of LSU's revamped defense. If Saturday night is any indication, this Tiger defense can be special in 2025.