2022 Linebacker Harold Perkins Talks Recent Hometown Offer From LSU Football, Where Recruitment Stands
As a New Orleans native, 2022 linebacker Harold Perkins says there really is no other choice then to grow up a Saints and LSU fan. Perkins now lives in Cypress, Texas, where he has molded himself into a standout recruit being pursued by some of the top programs in the country.
"Everyone there are diehards, we go all out for our sports teams," Perkins said.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound linebacker was officially offered by the Tigers on April 10, receiving the call from graduate assistant Alec Osborne. It was an offer that Perkins had been hoping for as the conversation quickly gravitated to how excited the Tigers were by Perkins' potential.
Initially, the plan was to bring Perkins in for a visit over the spring but due to the current circumstances that visit had to be put on hold. Perkins is hoping to visit LSU down the road but doesn't know when exactly that will be.
"We just talked about how they had been watching me and liked my film," Perkins said. "They like my explosive athletic ability and my speed off the edge. Most of the linebackers at LSU are built in that same mold so I’m just honored that they see me on the same level as those guys that have come through LSU."
Perkins has received offers from a number of top tier programs including LSU, Texas A&M, Florida and Alabama in the last week alone. The recognition is something he definitely doesn't take for granted but Perkins doesn't plan on whittling his list of teams down anytime soon.
"I want to be able to give every school a chance to evaluate me and my film. That goes for the schools that have already offered and the schools that haven’t," Perkins said. "I also want to be able to evaluate each school properly to see my fit in that program and in that community. At the end of the day I’m just a sophomore I have two more seasons and everything can change year to year."
As his offer list continues to grow, Perkins knows that at the end of the day he needs to grow on the field as well. Over the last few weeks he's been training with a few members of his 7v7 football team including tight end Donovan Green, the No. 1 tight end in the 2022 class according to 247Sports and Jaiden Robertson, who Perkins called "the fastest person in Texas."
"What’s better than guarding and working with the actual best?" Perkins said. "It helps that Donovan and Jaiden are two of my closest friends so they keep me motivated to being the best at my position. Our coaches just keep us focus and having fun to get us through these pandemic."
Perkins hopes to improve on his coverage skills but feels what's made him such an intriguing prospect for a number of schools is his playmaking ability as a blitzer and tackler.
"I can still get better in those aspects as well, but I want to be a scary defender. I want to be versatile like Bobby Wagner, Khalil Mack and Luke Kuechly."
While Perkins certainly envisions himself one day suiting up for the purple and gold, he also knows that finding the best fit is what's most important, somwhere he can succeed on the field and off.
"If it so happens that the stars align and I end up at LSU, that means they were the best possible fit for me on all aspects including grades, community and family," Perkins said. "I would assume it would be a great feeling with them being in my home state and it also gives my family members that are stationary in Louisiana a chance to see me play in person. This decision will be based off me at the end of the day, where I feel most comfortable to succeed in life with or without football. "
