'The One That Got Away': Texas A&M Welcomes LSU, Harold Perkins In Season Finale
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COLLEGE STATION -- They had him. Until they didn't.
A defensive field general for the future. A sideline to sideline playmaker ready to fly when given his shot.
And he did. Just not with Texas A&M.
Freshman phenom Harold Perkins will return to the Lone Star State Saturday night for the first time since leaving for LSU in May. A local talent from Cypress, Perkins has taken the SEC by storm, becoming Brian Kelly's not-so-secret weapon and ace in the hole.
But before the No. 5 Tigers persuaded him to return closer to his roots, Jimbo Fisher had him first. The Aggies nearly locked him up, putting a bow on their historic recruiting class.
Instead, he'll be public enemy No. 1 come Saturday night in Texas A&M's season finale at Kyle Field.
“Harold is very gifted, we knew that,” Fisher said of Perkins Monday during his weekly presser. “As great as he’s playing on defense, if you watched him in high school you could argue he was as great an offensive player as he was a defensive player."
Perkins was a two-way player for Cypress Park during his three years on varsity. As a running back, he averaged 12.6 yards per carry and totaled back-to-back 900-yard seasons. He scored 19 touchdowns in the Tigers' backfield while averaging 119.2 yards per game as a senior.
But the hits. The hits heard around the Greater Houston Area. The size. The physique. The physicality. The speed comes head-on towards the ball carrier like a car spinning out of control.
By the time recruiting became a factor in his life, most scouts identified him as an off-ball linebacker. During his final season with the Tigers, Perkins was splitting time between tailback and tackling machine, gaining six yards on one drive and sacking the quarterback on the next.
“He was a really good basketball player (at Cy Park), you could just see a natural athlete," Fisher said.
A native of Louisiana, Perkins' family moved to the Greater Houston Area as a result of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Tigers pursued Perkins from the get-go, but in the midst of a coaching search, priorities were eleswhere for the time being.
Perkins officially committed to Texas A&M during the Under Armour All-America game in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 2. Joining the likes of Gabriel Bronlow-Dindy, Denver Harris, Walter Nolen, Shemar Stewart, and others, the Aggies were building a defense that would daunt even the best offensive coordinators in the game.
Then Kelly touched down in Baton Rouge from South Bend. His first gift to the bayou Bengals? Perkins, officially signed his letter of intent a month after pledging his commitment to Fisher and the Aggies.
“He’s great in space, rushing, playing, and physical," Fisher said. "He’s a very intelligent young man. We knew going in he was a very highly recruited young guy that we tried to recruit. We were in on him for a long time.
"He’s a very good player. I enjoyed being around him and his family,” Fisher added.
Perkins is just scratching the surface for LSU entering the final hours of the 2022 regular season. He currently is tied for second in the SEC for sacks with eight, including four against speedster quarterback Malik Hornsby in a 13-10 win over Arkansas earlier this month.
Over the past month, Perkins has been the Tigers' go-to defensive wiz. He registered eight tackles in back-to-back games against No. 6 Alabama and Arkansas. He forced two fumbles against the Hogs, including one on Cade Fortin to seal the win in Fayetteville.
“He’s a bit of a throwback in the sense, ‘Just tell me what to do – I don’t need all the other things and I’ll figure it out as I go,’" Kelly during his weekly teleconference. “It’s kind of refreshing.”
The Tigers (9-2, 6-1 SEC) somewhat control their destiny in hopes of making the College Football Playoffs. Already winners of the SEC West, LSU must find a way to upset top-ranked Georgia in the conference championship next Saturday in Atlanta to be considered for one of the final four spots.
In a sense, the Tigers are ahead of schedule under Kelly's regime. Most expected LSU to fight for a bowl game, not a national title in Year 1 of the new era. Outside of a blocked PAT against Florida State in New Orleans, and a 27-point loss to Tennessee at home, the Tigers have been perfect in 2022.
All because of Perkins? Defensively, there's an argument for the freshman who barely saw reps on both losses.
"We had to get to the point where we had base defenses with him on the field,” Kelly said.
The Aggies (4-7, 1-6 SEC) will have the opportunity to pull off the upset and end their season on a high note. For the first time since 2008, Texas A&M will finish below .500 and miss a bowl game due to ineligibility.
Fisher said changes would be coming to College Station after a lost season. Perhaps a new offensive play caller is in the works. Maybe a few proven faces from the transfer portal join the party.
For now, Texas A&M's attention is on LSU. Specifically, it's on Perkins — the one who stood up Fisher and the 12th Man by getting cold feet at the last second.
“He’s just one of those who got away," Fisher said.
