LSU’s defense suffered a major blow this week when junior linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. tore his ACL in what was expected to be his final collegiate season.

Head coach Brian Kelly confirmed Perkins’ season-ending injury in a press conference on Monday. Kelly said they did not have any details on Perkins’ next steps in terms of surgery and recovery.

“It’s certainly an injury that we’re very sorry about, especially for Harold and the work he’s done to put himself in a great position,” Kelly said. “It’s tough, but we have really good players that can step in and keep going for LSU.”

The 20-year-old linebacker suffered the injury in LSU’s 34-17 win over UCLA on Saturday after making a tackle in the fourth quarter. With the win, LSU moved up to No. 14 in the AP Top 25.

Perkins made a splash in his freshman year at LSU, recording 7.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and an interception. He followed that up with a dominant game in his sophomore year, recording 5.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and an interception.

Perkins had a slower start this season, with five solo tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and no sacks before his injury.

This season is likely Perkins’ last at LSU, as he is eligible for the NFL Draft. It’s unclear if his injury status will impact whether he declares for the draft.

Nate Tice of Yahoo Sports ranked Perkins 26th in the 2025 NFL Draft rankings earlier this season.