LSU will be without star linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. for the rest of the season after he tore his ACL in Saturday’s win over UCLA, a source told ESPN.

Perkins, who was named to the All-SEC first team as a freshman in 2022 and the second team last fall, injured his right knee on a tackle in the fourth quarter of LSU’s 34-17 victory.

Coach Brian Kelly said the team will conduct diagnostic tests after the game, but did not elaborate on Perkins’ injury or outlook.

The 6-foot-1, 225-pound junior from New Orleans had two tackles against UCLA and 17 – including 1.5 for loss and a fumble recovery – in the team’s first four games.

Perkins had seven sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss as a true freshman, earning him some All-America recognition, and followed that up with 5.5 sacks and a team-high 13 tackles for loss in 2023. In his first two college seasons, he had 147 tackles in 21 starts.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper ranked Perkins as the second-best off-ball linebacker in the country for the 2025 NFL Draft, while ESPN’s Jordan Reid ranked Perkins as his best linebacker eligible for the draft.

LSU next hosts South Alabama at Tiger Stadium on Saturday.

247 Sports first reported on Perkins’ knee injury.