The Texas Longhorns have been red hot on the recruiting trail since new head coach Steve Sarkisian took over at the helm in January.
On Thursday night, that momentum continued, when elite Cy Park (Cypress, TX) linebacker Harold Perkins included the Longhorns amongst the finalists for his signature.
Perkins, who is rated as the No. 3 off-ball linebacker, and the No. 37 overall prospect in the nation by SI All-American, is one of the most exciting and coveted players in the 2022 class.
Now, that list has been narrowed, with Texas, A&M, LSU, Alabama, Oregon, Florida, and USC finding themselves in front of the chase for his commitment.
Perkins' announcement comes after a summer in which the linebacker took multiple visits to the 40 Acres, and had rave reviews of his experience.
Here is what SI All-American's John Garcia had to say about Perkins:
Few linebacker tapes are as fun as Perkins's. The Texan lines up at running back and off the ball on defense, where his vision, overall athleticism and play-making instincts can take over. As a linebacker, he is comfortable down hill, works well in the wash and explodes through contact. Perkins attacks the football under control with true pop, with seemingly the speed to keep up with wide receivers to boot. He'll need to fill out his frame to combat a collegiate running game, but the space skill is right there among the best at the position.
A natural fit in the Longhorns' new scheme, Perkins would be able to fill the box safety/linebacker hybrid role in defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski's defense.
In the past two seasons with Cypress Park on defense, Perkins has accumulated 93 total tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, six quarterback hurries, 13 pass deflections, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, an interception, a blocked punt, and a blocked field goal in just 20 games.
A dynamic athlete, Perkins also amassed 983 yards and 14 touchdowns on 96 carries (10.2 YPC) in just 10 games in his junior season at running back.
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Longhorns? Click Here
Want to join in on the discussion? Click here to become a member of the Longhorns Country message board community today!
More must-reads: