Can the Tigers secure back-to-back victories? It's an arduous and rare feat, especially for a defender to claim the award. However, Arcement's Twitter post emphasized Harold Perkins' remarkable athleticism, which had been evident since his high school days. Arcement confidently presented Perkins as a strong contender for the 2024 Heisman Trophy.
During his freshman season, Perkins showcased outstanding performance, surpassing his own accomplishments in the current year. In 2022, he tallied impressive statistics, including 72 tackles, 7.5 sacks, four pass deflections, three forced fumbles, and one interception. In the ongoing 2023 season, Perkins has maintained an exceptional record with 70 tackles, 5.5 sacks, four pass deflections, three forced fumbles, and one interception.
The football world has long been aware of Perkins' extraordinary abilities. He was ranked as the No. 9 overall prospect in America and earned a five-star recruit status in the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.
It's worth noting that before the start of this season, On3's Andy Staples considered Harold Perkins a longshot with odds of 150-1 to win the 2023 Heisman Trophy. Staples expressed his thoughts on Perkins several months ago, recognizing the potential for a defensive player to make a significant impact in the Heisman race.
“What about a defensive guy? Remember, we are only two years removed from Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan edge rusher, being second in Heisman Trophy balloting. That same year, Alabama’s Will Anderson was fifth in the balloting. So two edge rushers in the top five. It’s gonna happen at some point where some Defender is so dominant that we cannot ignore what he does. There’s a guy out there who might fit that profile and it’s LSU sophomore linebacker Harold Perkins.
“Now, they didn’t quite know what they had in him at the beginning of last season. You could see as the season moved on they found all sorts of fun things to do with Harold Perkins. Then this spring he’s working inside and people are like… ‘What are you doing working him inside? Isn’t he just going to get covered up and have to take on double team blocks?’
“And no, what they’re doing is trying to make it where it is hard to figure out offensively where Harold Perkins is every snap. They want to be able to move him around, play Where’s Waldo with him, and that will increase his numbers. And he’s the type of guy that could have just crazy stat sheet stuffing type stats. He’s going to have tackles for loss, he’s going to have some sacks, but he’ll have forced fumbles, he could have interceptions.
“He’s a bigger player, he’s playing in a different position, but think back to Tyrann Mathieu at LSU in 2011, where it felt like he was doing a bunch of everything every game. If LSU is really good, Harold Perkins is probably the best player on that team.
“So Jayden Daniels is the betting favorite in the Heisman race among LSU players, but Harold Perkins may be the reason if LSU is competing for the SEC title, competing for the national title. So keep an eye on that. Perkins at least has odds, he’s +15000.”
