LSU LB Harold Perkins Jr. is capable of playing anywhere, even running back

DALLAS — LSU’s Harold Perkins Jr. has seen his usage debated for two seasons now. 

What is the freaky junior’s best position?

Is it outside linebacker? Is it as a pure edge rusher? What about the MIKE? Since 2022, the former 5-star recruit has flashed electric talent with the Tigers, but he’s also spawned varied opinions with the way former LSU defensive coordinator Matt House deployed him. 

So it’s a complicated question, but it’s one the Tigers must figure out or else they risk wasting a potential menacing talent. If they don’t, they’re likely to continue sputtering defensively in a pivotal Year 3 for head coach Brian Kelly.  

So how will Harold Perkins Jr. use Harold Perkins Jr. in EA Sports College Football 25?

“I’m gonna mix it around,” Perkins told On3, unleashing a big grin and a gleaning grill.  

“I’m gonna be all over. From the d-line, I’ll probably move him at safety.”

Leave it to @JesseReSimonton to frame THE Harold Perkins question in the best way.

Instead of “Where do you feel you play best,” it’s “How will you use yourself in the video game.”

Perkins was ready for that, though. pic.twitter.com/haPLEdbAEU

— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) July 15, 2024

Perkins didn’t say WILL linebacker, where he’s currently slated to play the majority of his snaps in 2024. But he didn’t have to. The implication was evident. 

“I’m a ballplayer,” Perkins said. 

“I feel like it can be anywhere. I don’t put myself in categories. … I can play anything from running back, quarterback, receiver, linebacker, D-line, whatever.”

He added, “I’m eager to get the ball back in my hands” after getting a taste of running back with a one-yard touchdown run against Wisconsin in the bowl game. 

Why where Perkins lines up pre-snap is less important than how LSU actually uses its junior star in 2024

Perkins has legit phenom potential.

He’s only 6-foot, 225 pounds, but he has elite speed and Top 1% twitchiness. He’s been a game-wrecker at times, finishing his freshman season with 14 tackles for loss, 14 quarterback hurries and 8.5 sacks. Despite the narrative around his positional change, Perkins showed to be a capable coverage linebacker (team-high PFF grade), too. 

“He’s super fast. He can bend. You don’t know how to block him because he can either finesse you or go right through you,” said Tigers tight end Mason Taylor. 

“He’s a great player for us. He’s all over the place. Whenever he’s on the field, he’s a threat for the (opposing offense) for sure.”

Still, the positional change neutered Perkins’ threat level in 2023, and with it, LSU’s defense cratered. Perkins’ overall stats weren’t all that different (13 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks) from his Freshman All-American year, but his play looked a lot different — especially in a much bigger role. 

After moving Perkins to inside linebacker before the 2023 season, an offseason full of hype disappeared faster than a bowl of Louisiana gumbo.

From the opener against Florida State, Perkins was clearly uncomfortable as an in-the-box ‘backer. He wasn’t using his instincts, he continually got washed in run support and wasn’t asked to rush the pass nearly enough.

In the end, Tigers fielded one of the worst defensive units in the country last season, falling to 109th nationally in yards per play. Their pass rush wasn’t nearly as effective as it was in 2022, with Perkins dropping into coverage far too often. The results played out thusly — LSU wasted a generational season from Heisman Trophy quarterback Jayden Daniels. 

Despite rushing the passer being Perkins’ best skill set, his pass-rush rate dropped from 32% of his snaps to 21% last season, per PFF. While solid in coverage, he finished with nearly twice as many coverage snaps (291) as he did rushing the passer. 

“We didn’t maximize Harold last year — and that’s not on Harold or the coaches,” Kelly told On3’s JD Pickell earlier this offseason. 

“But the reality, he’s an elite athlete that we have to get on track this year. Both Harold has to play better, and our coaches have to get him involved more.”

“Where he fits within our defensive structure is going to be job one for us. Everyone who watched last year would say that’s a guy that needs to play at a higher level. That starts with coaching, and that starts with Harold really working hard this offseason.”

Evidently, Perkins has put in the work, according to Kelly at SEC Media Days. 

He’s up solidly over 220 pounds, and he’s been a mainstay in the film room. Importantly, Perkins has quickly connected with new Tigers defensive coordinator Blake Baker, who is being paid $2.5 million annually to figure out how to best utilize No. 4. 

“I fell in love with him on (Day 1),” Perkins said of Baker. 

“My first time meeting Coach Baker, he had some cleats on at practice. I fell in love with him that day just knowing that he’s on our side, putting in that work, but he’s not our here telling us what to do, he’s showing us what to do.

“He’s not just talking about it. He’s being about it.”

And so is Perkins. 

This offseason, Kelly & Co., challenged their star to invest more. To be more present. But while the head coach jokingly wished “they would’ve have tied him down and made him eat more,” simply getting Perkins to eat more Cajun food won’t solve many of the linebacker’s issues as a sophomore. 

Like pretty much everyone on LSU’s much-maligned  defense last season, Perkins spent too much time running around like a chicken without a head. He was overthinking plays, and oftentimes found his cleats stuck in the ground — the see-ball, get-ball mindset out the window.

So while Perkins has embraced an added emphasis on nutrition this offseason, it’s been film study — his own and LSU opponents like Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and others — that he believes will take his game to another level in 2024. 

“I just know from the short time I’ve been playing inside ‘backer that you’ve gotta trust what you see,” he explained. 

“Go with it. Don’t second guess what you’re seeing. Don’t think too much. That’s a way that can get you in trouble. Just thinking too much. Just go out there and play. Let your talent take care of itself.”

If Perkins’ talent is truly unleashed this fall, look out. 

That would mean the Tigers’ defense would be better, and the debates would no longer center around what position Perkins should play, but how high his NFL ceiling could be as a menacing off-ball-‘backer. 

What position is Harold Perkins Jr. best suited to play in 2024? LSU’s junior believes he’s capable of lining up “everywhere.”