Report: LSU Star Harold Perkins Jr. Out for 2024 Season After Knee Injury in UCLA Win

LSU linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. will miss the remainder of the 2024 season after tearing his ACL, according to 247Sports' Matt Zenitz and ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.

The injury occurred in the fourth quarter of the Tigers' 34-17 win over UCLA.

Perkins was the crown jewel of head coach Brian Kelly's first recruiting class in 2022. He ranked eighth nationally in 247Sports' composite rankings that year.

The New Orleans native lived up to the hype as a true freshman, finishing with 72 tackles, 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles to earn first-team All-SEC honors.

Perkins' sophomore year brought a positional change as he lined up more as an off-ball linebacker rather than an edge-rusher. The move had an accompanying effect on his production as his sack tally fell to 5.5, though his tackling output climbed slightly to 75 despite appearing in one fewer game.

Kelly kept Perkins in the off-ball role heading into this season. Through four starts, the junior had 17 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.

While Perkins isn't impacting games in so noticeable a way as he did in 2022, he remains a key defender for LSU. His absence will be felt when the team pivots to its SEC slate of games.

The injury could affect his future in Baton Rouge as well.

Perkins was the No. 27 overall pick in Bleacher Report's most recent 2025 NFL mock draft.

"Perkins is a natural pass-rusher with the movement skills of an off-ball linebacker and the build of a safety (6'1", 225 lbs)," his scouting report read. "There's no reason to pigeonhole him into a specific position. Instead, he should be viewed as a defensive weapon who can be deployed in various manners."

Whereas he looked like a sure bet to leave, it might now be in Perkins' best interest to spend another season with the Tigers.