Harold Perkins Jr looks the part at linebacker in LSU Football Camp

In 2023, the LSU Football team moved Harold Perkins Jr to linebacker after he was a standout as an edge rusher. The results were mixed as Perkins was given the chance to be around the ball more often however, his production went down. As a Freshman, Perkins was one of the next great edge rushers however, the transition to linebacker certainly had its road bumps.

Heading into the 2024 season, the big question was whether or not Blake Baker was going to move Perkins back to edge rusher or if he was going to keep Perkins at linebacker. We head into the season and Perkins will play linebacker and he's seemingly crushing it this summer.

Defensive Coordinator Blake Baker spoke on Perkins improvement this summer saying the following:

"Harold Perkins is an ascending player. I don't think he's scratched the surface still of where he's going to be."

- Blake Baker

Heading into 2024, expectations are mixed for Harold Perkins and this LSU defense under Blake Baker. Harold Perkins has been nominated for every defensive award possible however, that's still not enough for certain people. NFL Draft experts believe that the move to linebacker hurts Perkins stock.

This summer, all Perkins has done is look the part of the best linebacker in College Football. Perkins will be playing weak outside linebacker allowing him to stick his hand in the dirt at times to rush the passer. The creativity of Blake Baker will allow Perkins to play freely which unlocks his best asset which is his speed.

Blake Baker will bring the best out of Harold Perkins Jr

The biggest issue with how Matt House used Harold Perkins Jr is the fact that he stook him in one position When you get a player with the ability and talent of Harold Perkins, you use him as a chess piece rather than sticking him in one role. Blake Baker will use Perkins in ways Matt House never thought of and the LSU Football team will be better off because of it. The success of the defense in 2024 heavily relies on Perkins being a game wrecker and with Baker at the helm, LSU is heading in the right direction.

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