Inside the rise of LSU freshman Harold Perkins, an ‘anomaly’ just getting started

Soon after national signing day, LSU’s incoming freshmen received workouts from the strength and conditioning staff for them to use until they arrived on campus. Harold Perkins started doing them at his high school, and after about a week, he needed to get timed on a drill designed to measure speed and agility.

Perkins went through the 20-yard shuttle, a common test used all the way from high schools to the NFL scouting combine, a few times with Cypress Park strength coach Pete Longoria. He consistently completed the drill in 4.1 seconds, which already would have made him the fastest linebacker at the 2022 combine.

Then Perkins lined up one more time. He crouched in the middle of a 10-yard stretch and exploded to one side. Perkins swiped at the line, turned and sprinted in the opposite direction. He touched the other side, turned again and burst back through the middle.

Longoria checked his timer.

3.99

Though timed by hand, it would have made Perkins the second-fastest player at any position in the drill at this year’s combine and one of two to break 4 seconds. Only one player — Sam Houston State cornerback Zyon McCollum, who ran the shuttle in 3.94 seconds — was faster. And McCollum had five years in a college program.

“That’s pretty good,” Longoria said, underselling the time.

“You sure?” Perkins asked. “You sure that’s good?”

“That’s dang good,” Longoria said.

To understand why Perkins has turned into a star nine games into his freshman year, start there. He’s already one of the most explosive players in college football, able to overrun Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, then instantly turn upfield to finish a sack or accelerate from unstable footing after reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young tried to lose him with a stutter-step.

Perkins has flourished because of his athletic ability. Used as an outside linebacker in a way that highlights what he does best, Perkins is second on the team with 44 tackles and 3 ½ sacks. One of the Tigers’ most disruptive players, he and junior BJ Ojulari are tied with 11 quarterback hurries before No. 7 LSU faces Arkansas.

On his current trajectory, Perkins could record one of the greatest debut seasons for a defensive player in school history, putting him alongside the likes of safety Tyrann Mathieu and cornerback Derek Stingley. Long term, he could accomplish even more.

“I’ve never seen a defensive player at LSU that has made that type of impact — maybe Honey Badger, maybe — at that stage,” draft analyst Mike Detillier said this week on WWL radio. “But no one else is in the zip code of what we’ve seen with Harold Perkins.”

After the shuttle workout, Longoria went inside and told the other Cypress Park coaches about Perkins’ time. They had seen him dominate a football field since his freshman year of high school, where his exploits made him one of the top recruits in the country and the crown jewel of LSU coach Brian Kelly’s first signing class. But even they struggled to believe the results.

Longoria has crossed paths with hundreds of athletes. He coached strength and conditioning at Prairie View and UNO. He has spent seven years at Cypress Park. The only other player he worked with who came close to matching Perkins’ explosiveness was Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

“He’s an anomaly,” Longoria said. “I may not ever coach another kid like him in my career.”

•••

On one of the first days of preseason practice, Perkins stood next to LSU junior running back Josh Williams on a kickoff drill. Williams knew about the heralded freshman because they both grew up around Houston, giving him some idea of what to expect. But watching videos and seeing something in person are completely different.

Perkins started with the rest of his teammates as they simulated covering a kickoff. While Williams thought Perkins was the only one in the group running full speed, he pulled away from everyone else. Perkins beat his teammates to the end of the field by about 15 yards.

“I could feel the speed take off from me,” Williams said.

Perkins continued to flash as he practiced at inside linebacker. Everyone around LSU mentions a play early on, when one of the running backs took an outside handoff and tried to reach the edge. Perkins sprinted from the other side of the field, outran the rest of the defense and tackled the running back out of bounds, making his speed clear to anyone watching.

But there’s an alternate reality where none of this happens. After standing out as a Wing-T quarterback and linebacker his freshman year, Perkins quit to focus on basketball. He told Cypress Park football coach Greg Rogers he wanted to play in the NBA, and Rogers never talked someone in or out of playing football. He believed that was their choice to make.

At some point that spring, Perkins decided to return. Rogers made him earn his spot back, a standard team rule to prove players wanted to rejoin instead of acting on a whim because they were bored. Perkins had to do rolls along the field, write an essay, attend every summer workout and start preseason practice on the JV team.

“By the time we hit the regular season,” Rogers said, “he was up on the varsity.”

LSU linebacker Harold Perkins (40) celebrates a big defensive stop in the second half of the Tigers’ 31-16 win over the Bulldogs, Saturday, September 17, 2022, at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.

STAFF PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK

Perkins played almost every position over the next three seasons. Cypress Park moved him to running back to put the ball in his hands more, which then helped Perkins understand rushing lanes and angles on the defensive side. Last season, the team created a package with three high safeties to keep Perkins in the middle of the field so teams couldn’t run away from him as an outside linebacker.

“The only thing I haven’t seen him do yet is kick a football,” Cypress Park outside linebackers coach Tomas Luna said, “and he could kick a 40-yard field goal and I would not be surprised at all.”

Though often described as humble and relaxed, Perkins paired his athletic ability with a deep-rooted desire to excel. He wanted the ball whenever Cypress Park needed a play, and one game his sophomore year, Perkins watched from the sideline as the backup running back. The offense consistently picked up 6-7 yards on a sweep with its senior starter.

“Coach, that’s a good play,” Perkins told Rogers. “We just need more power.”

Rogers turned and looked at him.

“Just letting you know,” Perkins said. “I’m here if you need me. I’ve got more power.”

Cypress Park soon inserted Perkins and ran the same sweep out on the edge. He scored an 80-yard touchdown.

“When that big moment comes, I think he’s always going to be ready for it, because I think he’s always looking for that moment,” Rogers said. “And he’s looking to be the guy to make the play, and I don’t think he ever lets it get too big for him. He’s cool and calm and has the confidence that he’s going to be able to get it done.”

•••

Two years later, Cypress Park played with a district championship on the line as Perkins neared the end of an intense recruitment process. He had worn LSU gloves throughout his senior year, but this time he put on Texas A&M gloves with head coach Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies’ linebackers coach in attendance.

Before the game, Perkins asked Luna to keep the LSU gloves in his pocket in case he wanted them later. Perkins uncharacteristically fumbled in the first half, and when Luna looked at him, this serious expression washed over Perkins’ face. His coach suspected he would do something to make up for the turnover.

“Coach” Perkins said, “give me my LSU gloves.”

Perkins broke off an 80-yard touchdown run on the next series and was “unstoppable” for the rest of the game, Luna said, motivated by his mistake and mentally strong enough to prevent the error from negatively affecting his performance.

“He can literally forget a play that was bad and then make huge plays from that point on,” Luna said. “That tells me maturity-wise as a football player, he’s got a higher caliber than a lot of kids.”

The gloves reflected Perkins’ recruitment, which escalated after his sophomore season. Perkins landed his first scholarship offer from Baylor in late March 2020. On Good Friday two weeks later, five more major schools gave him one, including LSU and Texas A&M. Everyone wanted the athletic linebacker who had the strength to push offensive linemen.

It got to the point where Perkins’ phone rang throughout class as he became one of the most sought-after players in the country. Ultimately, his decision came down to LSU and Texas A&M. The Aggies were nearby and assembled a formidable class with recruits he knew. LSU offered Perkins, who was born in New Orleans but moved after Hurricane Katrina, the chance to live closer to family.

LSU Tigers linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. (40) sacks Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young (9) for a loss in the red zone in the second quarter on Saturday, November 5, 2022 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU leads Alabama 7-6 at the half.

STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON

Perkins committed to Texas A&M at first, announcing his choice at the Under Armour All-American game in early January. The decision lasted about three weeks. He backed off his pledge before national signing day, then chose LSU as he talked about the opportunity to come home.

“Nobody knew on signing day what hat he was going to grab in his living room,” Rogers said.

Nine months later, Perkins has put himself on a path to possibly becoming the best defensive player in college football one day. He wants to get there, and the same mindset carried him through his recruitment.

At one point, a poll named Perkins the second- or third-best linebacker in his class. He and Rogers talked about what it meant.

“It’s not good enough,” Rogers recalled Perkins saying. “Not until I’m No. 1.”

And even when Perkins held the top spot, he wanted more, trying to become the best overall recruit in the nation.

“It’s always finding that next step to be the best,” Rogers said. “It doesn’t surprise me that when he got on the field, he’s finding a way to be the best one out there.”

•••

Perkins got on FaceTime with his former coaches as they ate lunch last month.

He was headed to study hall the week after LSU lost to Tennessee. They chatted about his life, and the Cypress Park coaches asked him why he didn’t play much in the loss. Perkins explained the defensive strategy. Then he told them Volunteers coach Josh Heupel spoke to him afterward.

“He said Josh Heupel came up to him after the game and said, ‘I’m glad you didn’t play a lot,’ ” Longoria said.

After Perkins opened practice at inside linebacker, LSU realized it would take longer for him to fit into the rotation because of the subtle aspects of the position he needed time to learn. Defensive coordinator Matt House moved him outside, which limited Perkins to certain packages but put his athleticism on full display by not giving him more than he could handle.

Since the loss to Tennessee, Perkins’ role has steadily increased within a three-game winning streak. He recorded five tackles, a sack and three quarterback hurries against Ole Miss. As part of the base defense last week, he made eight tackles, added another sack and constantly chased Young while spying the quarterback in a thrilling overtime win over Alabama.

“Matt’s done a great job of meeting him halfway with some of the things he’s not ready to do, but leaning heavily on some of the things that he has that are innate traits that can help us win right away,” Kelly said. “I think part of it is he’s a bit of a throwback in that you don’t have to explain everything. Just line up here, do this and you’ll be fine.”

The stage will get bigger moving forward. LSU can clinch the SEC Western Division as soon as this weekend with a win over Arkansas and an Ole Miss loss to Alabama. Perkins would then face the team he once committed to, Texas A&M, at the end of the regular season before appearing in the SEC championship game as a true freshman.

Back in Cypress, his former coaches flock to televisions whenever LSU plays. Luna bought a Perkins jersey. Longoria displayed LSU gear Perkins gave him in his man cave.

They believe Perkins will improve as he learns more like he did in high school, fueling the idea his rise just started.

Where could football take him?

Said Luna: “As far as he wants to go.”