BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. developed a reputation as a game-wrecker for opposing offenses back when he was a freshman in the 2022-23 season.
Now, however, none of the 14th-ranked Tigers' eight remaining opponents -- seven of them SEC teams -- have to concern themselves with Perkins and his uncommon combination of size, strength and speed.
LSU coach Brian Kelly confirmed Monday that Perkins, an AP preseason All-America selection who'll be eligible for the 2025 NFL draft, has an anterior cruciate ligament tear that has ended what was widely expected to be his final college season.
"Let's call it as it is," Kelly said as he described Perkins as "gifted enough" to play as a traditional linebacker and cover a receiver as effectively as some defensive backs could.
"We don't have any of those guys hanging around the locker room, other than one," Kelly said.
But Kelly asserted that LSU's success in a game like football won't hinge on the availability of a single player.
"Our players clearly understand in this game, you're going to get injuries. And so we're not going to lose our identity or fall apart because of it," Kelly said.
"You feel bad for the individual more than anything else," Kelly said. "And he is a great player, but there's 10 other players that make that thing happen and it really helps now that our guys understand all 11 have to work harder and have to work together to be the kind of defense we want to be."
The injury to Perkins' right knee occurred when he was making a tackle in the fourth quarter of LSU's 34-17 victory over UCLA.
Kelly said LSU will now have to rely on multiple players to fill in for Perkins, depending on situational factors such as the down and distance an offense needs on a certain play, and the strengths of an opponent's personnel.
There will be times when LSU uses three linebackers and risks one of them being forced to cover a receiver in space, Kelly said. Or, LSU will go with a defensive back who at times might have to play closer than usual to the line of scrimmage.
Perkins best season, statistically, was his first, when he had 7 1/2 sacks among 13 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and an interception.
Last season, Perkins took on a larger role, playing multiple linebacker positions, and saw a moderate dip in some of his more flashy statistics, finishing with 5 1/2 sacks among 13 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and an interception.
This season he had yet to record a sack, had 1 1/2 tackles for loss and had not forced a turnover in nearly four games.
Kelly declined to speculate on whether Perkins has played his last game for LSU.
In this relatively new era of the NCAA allowing college players to sign lucrative endorsement deals that are often facilitated by their schools, it remains possible, however unlikely, that Perkins could try to improve his draft stock by playing one more college season.
"It's way too soon for for him to or his family to have made any kind of declaration, whether this is his last game or not. I think they're just trying to get a hold of the surgery and the rehab associated with it," Kelly said. "He'll take all that into consideration. And then when it's time to make a decision, he'll make a decision. Certainly, has plenty of time before he has to make that decision."