Florida Gators Priority LB Target Harold Perkins Decommits From Texas A&M
The Florida Gators' surge for Cy Park linebacker recruit Harold Perkins received promising news on Monday with his decommitment from Texas A&M, which he announced via Instagram.
After committing to the Aggies during the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 2, the battle for Perkins would be viewed as an uphill battle for the teams remaining in contention, namely LSU and Florida. Although odds weren't in the Gators' favor, they were never out of the race, with the highly regarded prospect set to sign during the late signing period.
Perkins has remained a wild card throughout the majority of his recruitment, making his final decision and signing on Feb. 2 a coin toss as to what school he attends to continue his football career.
However, Florida's efforts down the stretch have re-inserted the program into legitimate contention for the nation's No. 3 off-ball linebacker by SI All-American's metrics.
Enjoying a visit to the University of Florida Jan. 14-16, Perkins shared his thoughts on the Gators program, the coaches — specifically head coach Billy Napier — environment and his role if he was to assume the linebacker position in the reconfigured defensive scheme with AllGators immediately following his trip.
"Coach Napier is a very down-to-earth person," he said. "I like the new staff. Even though they just got together, they act like they've been together for a while. It's not really a coaching staff, it's [like] a family. It's very down to earth. I like the people here; they show you a lot of love.
"And then, not to mention, I always said I wanted to be like an X-factor. So, that's kind of how coach Napier sees me."
The Cypress, Texas, native was keen on Florida's investment into the players, a factor that stands paramount in his recruitment.
"I feel like the new staff is bringing new things in, and I'm liking it," Perkins said. "I like that [they're] spending more money on the players and stuff and investing in the players. Because at the end of the day, we're the brand."
If Perkins were to join Florida, he would appear alongside SIAA's No. 2 linebacker Shemar James, No. 1 safety Kamari Wilson, No. 7 defensive lineman Chris McClellan, No. 11 DL Jamari Lyons, No. 7 nickel cornerback Devin Moore, safety Miguel Mitchell, tight end Hayden Hansen and defensive end Andrew Savaiinaea as pledges to the program under Napier.
Simply put, he would take an already-talented class of defensive personnel from good to great, providing the cherry on top for Napier's transition class at UF.
Perkins will visit Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers in the Bayou for the Jan. 28-30 weekend before he mulls over his options to make a decision on National Signing Day.
Stay tuned to AllGators for continuous coverage of Florida Gators football, basketball and recruiting. Follow along on social media at @SI_AllGators on Twitter and Florida Gators on Sports Illustrated on Facebook.