Aggie add another 5-star to 2022 class
Texas A&M's top-ranked recruiting class has gotten stronger with a commit at a need position.
Cy-Park 5-star linebacker Harold Perkins, a long-time Aggie lean, committed to the Aggies Sunday afternoon during the Under Armour All-American Game in at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. A&M topped LSU and Texas to pick up their fourth 5-star in the class, a record for the Aggies during the Rivals era.
Perkins was a target for the Aggies going back to last year and quickly jumped to the top.of the list for him, but the pull of home-state LSU was significant. The firing of Ed Orgeron and Corey Raymond's move to Florida, however, hurt the Tigers in their recruiting efforts. Texas committed significant time and effort in an effort to sway him, but never seemed to get any closer than a distant second for the versatile linebacker.
Even though Perkins has been an unspoken commit for better than a month, the road to signing day will be a bumpy one for the Aggies. Perkins has said he intends to make an official visit to Florida and could also visit Miami before putting pen to paper on Feb. 2.
Perkins is the 28th commit for the Aggies in the class, with 23 of those being 4- or 5-stars. He's the 16th player from Texas in the class, which is loaded with talent from the Houston area.
Analysis of A&M's newest commit
A natural football player with excellent speed -- elite speed for a linebacker. Perkins can absolutely fly to the football (or with it, if he's on offense).
There's no question Perkins is highly instinctive. He's got a feel for finding the hole as a running back and diagnoses plays quickly as a linebacker. Once he figures out what's going on, his burst is exceptional. He's also elite in pass coverage, reading quarterbacks very well and jumping into passing lanes. He backpedals well and changes direction better than nearly any high schooler.
Perkins' athleticism is off the charts, which is why he's playing running back in the Under Armour game and played running back, wideout and linebacker this past season. He just gets football and has the natural gifts to be a difference maker. I'd like it if he'd wrap up more instead of going for the highlight reel shot when he tackles, but that's something he should figure out over time.
The Aggies needed speed to combine with Edgerrin Cooper for the next couple of years and Perkins is as fast as they come. If he gets A&M's defensive scheme, he could be an asset immediately and be part of the two deep. If he finds a comfort level, he could be one of the best linebackers A&M has had in a couple of decades.