LSU’s Perkins, Jr. attempts to jog memory for NFL teams | 2026 NFL Draft film review
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LSU LB Harold Perkins, Jr. (pictured hitting the Iso Sled) -a former five-star recruit- had his share of moments in school. After tearing his ACL in 2024, Perkins bounced back with 56 tackles, 4 QB sacks, 8 TFLs, 3 INTs and 3 PBUs in 2025.
Former LSU linebacker Harold Perkins, Jr. heads into the 2026 NFL Draft fully recovered from a 2024 season-ending injury. By all accounts, the injury, multiple roles and coaching changes created an uneven experience the last two seasons.
Comparatively, the former highly-touted recruit started his Tigers career with a bang. In his first career game (see video below), Perkins, Jr. (wearing No. 40) instantly made an impact on the kickoff team. The aggression and explosiveness of his first career tackle kept the bar at a remarkably high level.
As Perkins’ 2022 freshman season materialized, he morphed into one of the SEC’s dominant pass rushers. In Week 10, his strip sack in the fourth quarter (1:19 remaining) closed out the Arkansas contest. The sack was Perkins’ fourth of the game and resulted in SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors. The fourth sack was later changed by the NCAA to just three sacks. One of his two forced fumbles on the afternoon was ruled a rushing attempt.
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Nevertheless, his career arc veered in multiple directions after the first-team All-SEC campaign. Through all of the peaks and valleys, Perkins, Jr. remained productive. The 6-foot-1, 223-pounder finished his four-year run with 17 quarterback sacks, 35.5 tackles for loss and eight forced fumbles. In addition, he also tallied five interceptions and 10 pass breakups in 36 starts.
The numbers tell one story. However, the transition to full-time off the ball linebacker paints multiple pictures. He attempted to alleviate concerns during 2026 East-West Shrine practices.
At LSU’s 2026 Pro Day, Perkins, Jr. was clocked in the 4.44-second 40-yard dash range by NFL scouts. While it may not completely resuscitate his NFL Draft stock, it does offer a glimpse of his enormous potential.
In our video review, we went back to some of Perkins, Jr.’s work against Missouri in 2023. This was all prior to the 2024 season-ending injury. Former Missouri defensive coordinator Matt House had a solid feel on how to employ Perkins. House, currently the outside linebackers coach for the Kansas City Chiefs, used the former Cy Park HS (La.) star to confuse offenses. Could this be the key to unlocking his potential at the next level?
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