Harold Perkins announces plans to return to LSU for 2025 season

On Friday, LSU linebacker Harold Perkins announced he will be returning to play for the Tigers in the 2025 campaign. Perkins missed most of the season after suffering a torn ACL in LSU’s fourth game of the season.

Perkins was an AP preseason All-America selection ahead of this season. In his limited time on the field, Perkins made his presence felt, recording 16 tackles and a fumble recovery.

In his first two seasons with the Tigers, Perkins amassed a combined 146 tackles, 13 sacks, six forced fumbles, two interceptions and four pass breakups. For his efforts, he was named an All-SEC Second Team member by the league’s coaches in 2023.

Perkins was eligible to enter his name into the draft this offseason but will return to LSU instead. In ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest NFL Big Board, he listed Perkins as the No. 6 off-ball linebacker in the 2025 NFL draft class. Now, Kiper can strike Perkins’ name from his mock draft.

LSU surrounding Harold Perkins with transfer talent

Perkins will be surrounded by several fresh faces on the gridiron next season. LSU has already added 14 players via the NCAA Transfer Portal since the regular season, including six defensive talents. Most notably, LSU has added Florida cornerback Ja’Keem Jackson and Florida State EDGE Patrick Payton.

LSU is currently ranked No. 7 in On3’s 2025 Team Transfer Portal Rankings. LSU head coach Brian Kelly made a jaw-dropping announcement earlier in this cycle, revealing that he would match fans’ donations to LSU’s NIL collective, up to $1 million.

Evidently, Kelly’s unusual offer has paid off, with LSU fans across the country sending in donations to the program.

“The response has been what we were hoping for,” Kelly said. “… Whether it’s been $5, $50 or $500, we’re seeing those kinds of contributions that we hadn’t seen in the past.

“It’s put us in a position where we can be aggressive on anybody that comes into the portal, and that simply wasn’t the case before.”

The transfer portal officially opened Dec. 7 and will remain open until Dec. 28, though players on teams still playing in the postseason will get an additional five-day window to enter the portal after their seasons end.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.