A lot of words come to mind when thinking of Harold Perkins Jr.
As fans, we watch him prowl around the defense, showing off his versatility, athleticism and intellect while wreaking havoc on opposing offenses.
But for those closest to him, one phrase encapsulates LSU’s star linebacker.
“He’s a freak of nature,” fellow linebacker Whit Weeks tells 225. “The way he can move is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. He’s just so athletic, and he can make plays that other guys can’t make.”
In fact, multiple Tiger teammates describe Perkins’ “freakish” playmaking abilities, which he has put on full display since his arrival in Baton Rouge.
The New Orleans native was billed as a five-star prospect out of Cypress Park High School in Cypress, Texas, where he was forced to relocate after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
He quickly lived up to that ranking, playing in all 14 games with eight starts as a true freshman in 2022. Perkins finished the season with 72 total tackles and led the team in both tackles for loss (13.0) and sacks (7.5).
The 6-foot-1, 220-pound nightmare had standout plays in just about every game that year, but one performance in particular proved to Tiger Linebacker Greg Penn III that Perkins was a different breed.
The way he can move is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
[LSU’s Whit Weeks on his fellow linebacker Harold Perkins]
“That Arkansas game when he was running down the quarterback,” Penn tells 225, referring to the eight tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles Perkins tallied that day. “That was crazy. That quarterback (Malik Hornsby) came in, he’s like a 4.4, 4.3 (40-yard dash) guy, and Perk was running him down every play. It was crazy to watch.”
Perkins earned National Player of the Week honors for his showing against the Razorbacks and eventually went on to be named First-Team All-SEC by the Associated Press and second-team by the league’s coaches.
He was named to the Freshman All-America Team as well as being selected to the Freshman All-SEC Team, helping LSU win the SEC Western Division title his first year on campus.
“He’s a freak athlete,” Penn says. “He can really do anything that you ask him to do. He’s a great guy to be out there with, and he brings great energy. Going into my third year playing with him, we have great chemistry. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, so it’s fun being out there with him.”
Perkins finished his sophomore season leading the Tigers in tackles for loss (13) and sacks (5.5) for the second straight year.
While he didn’t have quite as many highlight-reel plays in 2023, Perkins still managed to finish fourth on the team with 75 tackles. He also saw action on offense for the first time in his career when he scored a 1-yard touchdown run in LSU’s ReliaQuest Bowl win over Wisconsin.
Don’t expect to see too many more offensive reps for Perkins in 2024, but there is reason to believe the star linebacker will be turning heads nationally again this fall under new defensive coordinator Blake Baker.
As linebackers coach in 2021, Baker helped former Tiger Damone Clark earn Second-Team All-America honors after he ranked No. 2 in the nation with 135 tackles to go along with 5.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss.
Both Clark and Ty’Ron Hopper, who played for Baker last season at Missouri, finished as Butkus Award finalists under the tutelage of the Tigers’ new coach.
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Perkins may very well be the next in line, if Baker can tap back into all that freakish potential.
“He’s one of those guys who can change the game—and in a single play,” linebacker West Weeks tells 225. “It’s always good to have those types of dudes on the field with you. He’s a good player, but he’s an even better person, so it’s awesome to be around him every day.”
This article was originally published in 225 Magazine’s 2024 Tiger Pride edition.