He played safety his first three years in the program then moved to nickelback/strongside linebacker in the spring, a hybrid position that is part outside linebacker, part strong safety and part nickel cornerback. With safety Joshuah Bledsoe unavailable for Saturday’s game against Wyoming, Perkins moved back to safety for third downs in the dime package.
Perkins started four games in 2016 and two a year ago. In Mizzou’s system, the strong safety and strongside linebacker work in tandem in certain coverages and run fits, making Perkins’ transition easier from one level of the defense to the next.
“You’ve got to be able to move around in space because you’re out to the field all the time,” Walters said.