LSU Football Defensive Coordinator Reveals Harold Perkins Role for 2025 Season

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers are less than one month away from Spring Camp kicking off in Baton Rouge with expectations rising for the program.

Kelly and Co. will have multiple fresh faces to work with after reeling in the No. 1 Transfer Portal Class in America, but the returning pieces will give the Tigers an edge as well.

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier headlines the returnees in Death Valley after electing to bypass the 2025 NFL Draft for an extra year with the Bayou Bengals.

LSU's QB1 will look to develop this offseason after piecing together a 2024 campaign where he totaled 4,052 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 13 games played.

"When he's on, Garrett Nussmeier has No. 1 overall pick potential. When he's off, the quarterback who once backed up Jayden Daniels can get in his head a bit leading to mistakes," 247Sports said. "Consistency trumps all with Nussmeier, who was elite in the fourth quarter in wins over Ole Miss and South Carolina, but struggled during losses to Alabama and Texas A&M.

"Brian Kelly and LSU quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan hopes he's Heisman-level in 2025 and the Tigers have done all they can to ensure his weaponry is top-end around him. Three portal wideouts should help.

But Nussmeier isn't the only key piece that elected to make a return to Baton Rouge for the 2025 season.

LSU will also get defensive stud Harold Perkins back in the purple and gold after revealing he'll be back for the program.

Perkins took Baton Rouge by storm during his true freshman campaign with the Tigers in 2022.

A player shot out of a cannon on every snap, Perkins quickly emerged as a player NFL scouts would be keeping tabs on during his college career.

After a stellar campaign in Year 1 with the program, there was slight regression in 2023 after the LSU coaching staff struggled to find his ideal role.

Then, fast forward to Perkins' junior campaign in 2024 and it had an abrupt ending with the star linebacker suffering a torn ACL early in the season.

A player who was receiving first round buzz in the 2025 NFL Draft, despite Perkins' usage remaining a question mark, it was a brutal blow for the program.

Now, Perkins has made his decision: Return to LSU, continue rehabbing and prepare for a senior season where he can boost his 2026 NFL Draft stock.

He's slipped down 2025 draft board due to injury and usage issues, but it's clear an organization would have been willing to take the "risk" for such a talented athlete.

Instead, he's back in the purple and gold for one more year.

He's finishing the early stages of his recovery, according to head coach Brian Kelly, with a focus now on getting back up to speed.

"He's doing really well in his recovery talking to Owen Stanley, our athletic trainer," Kelly said. "He's been in the building quite a bit now that he's passed the early stages of the repair. Now, it's about hard work."

But the key question comes in the mix now: What role will Perkins play in 2025?

LSU defensive coordinator told On3 Sports over the weekend that Perkins will play the STAR role for the Tigers, which will give him a hybrid linebacker/safety look.