2020 Season Countdown: #96 Jeffrey Persi

Name: Jeffrey Persi
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 275 lbs.
High school: Mission Viejo (CA) JSerra Catholic
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Persi was a senior in high school (LINK).
TTB Rating: 65 82

I have to admit that Persi is the biggest boom-or-bust prospect in the 2020 class in my mind. I really don’t know what to do with him when it comes to TTB Ratings. He’s very athletic and the coaches love him, so what’s the matter? I have heard multiple coaches and Matt Dudek use Persi as an example of someone the rankings don’t love but the coaches do. So is he kind of a sleeper?

Persi is the kind of guy (long and athletic) I normally love at tackle, but he has a raw quality that makes me wonder. He was a tight end to begin high school, and he has only played tackle during his final two years. So that explains part of the disconnect. When I watch him on film, he does the right thing initially. If you were doing a drill tape against air where you want a guy to kick slide, down block, etc., Persi would be a great candidate.

But then when you watch him react to defenders, he’s a split second late. It’s almost like he’s so preoccupied with performing the correct technique that he forgets to think a step ahead. I also came away from his senior film with the same criticisms I had of his junior film: his feet get too narrow, and he comes up too high. He also does not finish blocks as well as he should, and he can get overpowered.

So as you can see, Persi is a mixed bag. He’s athletic with good bend and initial technique, but he needs to get stronger and doesn’t react well to the changing pictures in front of him. I’m going to go ahead and believe that Ed Warinner can work his magic on Persi, but I think it’s going to take some time.

Prediction: Redshirt

Hit the jump for some of his senior clips.

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