LSU will be without star linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. for the remainder of the season after he sustained an ACL injury in Saturday’s win over UCLA, a source told ESPN.
Perkins, who earned first-team All-SEC honors as a freshman in 2022 and second-team honors last fall, injured his right knee while making a tackle during the fourth quarter of LSU’s 34-17 win.
Coach Brian Kelly said the team would conduct diagnostic testing after the game but didn’t elaborate further on Perkins’ injury or outlook.
The 6-foot-1, 225-pound junior from New Orleans had two tackles against UCLA and 17 — including 1.5 for loss and a fumble recovery — in the team’s first four games.
Perkins had seven sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss as a true freshman, earning some All-America recognition, and followed with 5.5 sacks and a team-high 13 tackles for loss in 2023. He had 147 tackles in 21 starts during his first two college seasons.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper rated Perkins as the nation’s No. 2 off-ball linebacker for the 2025 NFL draft, while ESPN’s Jordan Reid ranked Perkins as his top draft-eligible linebacker.
LSU next hosts South Alabama on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.
247 Sports first reported Perkins’ knee injury.
