LSU’s defense took a big blow this week, with junior linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. sustaining an ACL injury in what was expected to be his final college season.
Head coach Brian Kelly confirmed Perkins’ season-ending injury in a news conference on Monday. Kelly said that they did not have details about next steps for Perkins in terms of surgery and recovery.
“Certainly an injury that we feel terrible about, especially for Harold and the work that he’s done to put himself into a great position,” Kelly said. “These are difficult, but we’ve got really good players that can come in and fill in for LSU and move forward.”
The 20-year-old linebacker sustained the injury in LSU’s 34-17 win over UCLA on Saturday after making a tackle in the fourth quarter. With the win, LSU moved to No. 14 in the AP Top 25.
Perkins exploded onto the scene in his freshman year, earning 7.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and an interception in his first year at LSU. He followed that up with a dominant sophomore year, with 5.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and an interception.
Perkins had a slower start to this season, with five solo tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and no sacks prior to his injury.
This season is likely Perkins’ last with LSU, as he will be eligible for the NFL Draft. It is unclear whether his injury status will affect whether he will declare for the draft.
