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Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer
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.