Brian Kelly on Harold Perkins Jr.: 'This is his year'

The LSU Tigers are looking to make the College Football Playoff for the first time since Brian Kelly took over the program this season. To do that, the Tigers know that they’ll need stars like Harold Perkins Jr. to produce excellent seasons.

With practice for the 2025 season now well underway, Kelly praised the work Perkins has put in. He’s done so well, both mentally and physically, that this is the season that Kelly expects him to put everything together to become one of the best defenders in the country.

“Yeah, I think it’s a familiar role for him,” Brian Kelly said. “One that now he has a complete knowledge of the linebacker position. He’s not just a guy out there, running around, making plays. He’s so much more intentional. He knows the game, he knows the nuances of it. The pick that he got in 7-on-7, he baited [Garrett] Nussmeier into it. Just those little things, right, are experiential kind of plays that he’s making.”

Perkins broke onto the scene in 2022 as a true freshman. Quickly, he’d be showered with numerous honors, including being a Freshman All-SEC selection, a First-Team All-SEC selection, and a Second-Team All-SEC selection. He’s done that while putting up massive stats. In 31 career games, Perkins has 164 total tackles, 28 tackles for a loss, and 13.0 sacks. He also has two career interceptions, seven passes defended, and seven forced fumbles.

Unfortunately, Perkins had to deal with a knee injury in 2024 that cost him the majority of the season. That’s in the past now, though, and Kelly is excited for how he is approaching this upcoming season.

“I think, physically, he’s been great,” Kelly said. “Taking care of himself. Recovery day. He’s a beast. He just knows that, as I said, this is his year. All of those things have allowed him to be really, really focused and not distracted by anything.”

Whit Weeks calls Harold Perkins the ‘best defensive college football player in the world’

Even among his teammates, Harold Perkins stands out from the rest. One of those, Whit Weeks, has praised him as the best defensive college football player.

“I got to spend a lot with Harold this offseason, just throughout our rehabs, and me and him became really close. He was a shoulder I could lean on, no matter what. Days that looked long for me, Harold was right there: ‘Hey, bro, keep your head up. We’re going to get through this together,'” Weeks said.

“Oh, I can’t wait. I can’t wait to be out there playing with Harold [again]. He’s the best defensive college football player in the world. So, being able to play with him, he makes it easy to be a good football player because you know he’s going to be out there making plays, and you want to make plays for him too. The sky’s the limit for Harold. He’s the best athlete I’ve probably ever seen in my whole life. If you let Harold be Harold, he’ll be a superstar. And it’s not going to be hard for him to be a superstar.”