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By Matt Levine
Contributing Sports Writer
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Injuries are an unfortunate part of sports and yet, they happen every season like clockwork. They don't care what team or what player they will hit but certain injuries can derail a team's entire season.
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For the LSU Tigers football team, they took down the UCLA Bruins over the weekend but in the game, they lost a key piece to their roster. Star linebacker Harold Perkin left the game early with what looked like a knee injury and it has now been determined that he tore his ACL.
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He will likely miss the remainder of the season, creating a massive loss for the Tigers defensive unit.
Perkins had posted 17 total tackles this season for the Tigers, with one fumble recovery. He has emerged as one of the better defenders in all of college football and was looking forward to another dominant season.
Last year, Perkins posted 75 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, and one interception through 13 games. In his freshman season, the linebacker registered 72 total tackles, 7.5 sacks, and one interception over 14 games.
He was a leader for the defense and his presence will be missed. Perkins was given the famous No. 7 jersey by the Tigers program before the year started, a symbol of the elite player from the roster during that particular season.
Some of the other notable LSU players to wear No. 7 over the years have been Patrick Peterson, Grant Delpit, Tyrann Mathieu, Leonard Fournette, D.J. Chark Jr., and Jonathon Giles
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Perkins was also seen as a potential top-20 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft so his injury could change that. Being a third-year player, Perkins could decide to forgo the NFL and return to LSU for a final season to improve his draft stock.
LSU will now go forward without their leader on defense, which could spell some trouble for them. While the Tigers unit has been better this season than in years past, losing a talent like Perkins is tough, especially playing in the loaded SEC Conference.
The team has already lost running back John Emery Jr. and defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory to season-ending injuries. They will try to go forward and continue the success that they've already seen.
LSU sits with a record of 3-1 on the season after defeating UCLA. They will play South Alabam this weekend before having a bye week to rest up for an SEC showdown against Ole Miss.
For more NCAA news, make sure to head over to Newsweek Sports.
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