Amid bowl season, some underclassmen are getting their NFL Draft grades and making decisions about their NFL futures. While we’ve seen dozens of high-profile players declare for the 2025 NFL Draft, we’ve also seen a handful of players announce their returns to the college game.
One such player is LSU Tigers’ linebacker/edge rusher Harold Perkins Jr. While many in the media have bet on traits and put him as a fringe first-rounder, Perkins clearly didn’t like what he heard from NFL scouts, leading him to announce a return to LSU. But does his return signal that his role with LSU isn’t mutually beneficial? And if so, should Perkins transfer away from Baton Rouge, La?
Why a Transfer Could Be Mutually Beneficial for Harold Perkins Jr., LSU
When Perkins burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2022, college football fans lost their collective minds. He had 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and an interception, all against SEC competition.
But since he was a bit undersized, LSU’s coaching staff announced they’d move him off the ball into a more traditional outside linebacker role before the 2023 season. When he struggled in the season-opener against the Florida State Seminoles, though, the staff almost abandoned the plan and began rotating him back in on the edge. Ironically, his snaps by position were similar between 2022 and 2023.
New year, new defensive staff, new defensive position for the LSU star in 2024. New defensive coordinator Blake Baker moved Perkins to middle linebacker, where Perkins struggled for four games before tearing his ACL. Perkins missed 22% of his tackles and was dreadful both against the run and in pass coverage.
It didn’t take a whole season to realize Perkins is not a middle linebacker. Still, the traits are there to be an elite defensive player. In my last 2025 NFL mock draft, I sent him to Philadelphia, pointing out that he’s a risky pick without a position.
However, I like him as a pass rusher. It’s not as if he’s playing at a MAC school. Yes, he’s 6’1″ and 225 pounds, but he’s winning against SEC offensive linemen. As a true freshman, he was dominant against future first-round offensive tackle JC Latham. Micah Parsons is just two inches taller than Perkins. He can play on the edge, and the experiments to move him elsewhere are hurting both Perkins and LSU.
So, if the staff is unwilling to make him an edge rusher, Perkins should transfer elsewhere. The Tigers can find better pure linebackers in the transfer portal and Perkins can go to a school that will use him at his natural position.
There are always exceptions to the NFL thresholds and Perkins looks like he’s one of them.
Unless the LSU coaching staff is willing to backtrack and move him (once again) to a different position, Perkins should go somewhere that will use him off the edge. It’s obvious that LSU’s experiments have failed all involved. It’s time for Perkins to cut ties and move.
It’s in his — and LSU’s — best interest.
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