Recruit Snapshot: Jesse Perry
One of the most important skills that an offensive lineman can possess is the ability to play multiple positions effectively. A player that can slide from one position to another to fill in for an injury or struggling teammate, to do what is best for the team, is a luxury offensive line coaches dream about. Middle Tennessee Christian School (Murfreesboro, TN) offensive and defensive tackle Jesse Perry looks to provide that luxury for Tennessee offensive line coach Glen Elarbee when Perry joins the Vols.
Physically Imposing
Perry absolutely looks the part of an SEC offensive lineman. Coming in at 6’5” and 285
pounds, Perry has great size, with a frame that can handle the addition of more muscle weight without impacting quickness or conditioning. The conditioning is a big part of Perry’s game that came to the forefront as the Cougars came to Seymour, Tennessee to play the Lions of The King’s Academy. Middle Tennessee Christian is a Division II Single A school in Tennessee High School Football. That means players like Perry are playing both ways. Perry continued to give a consistent effort on both sides of the ball, never really showing a sign of fading or tiring. What Perry did show is that he looked to be a head taller than everyone else on the field. It was just evident that Perry is a special, different caliber of athlete, simply by looking at him.
A Polished Technician
So Perry looks like he should be physically dominant because of his God given size and athletic talent. He is often lined up across from guys that simply do not have size or talent sufficient to challenge him. Particularly with offensive linemen, this situation of playing less talented, smaller opponents, can lead to a reliance on just being bigger and stronger than everyone else. Oftentimes linemen in this situation have to learn technique and struggle to be effective against comparable athletes. This is not the case with Perry, at all.
One of the most difficult challenges for a 6’5” offensive lineman playing against a defensive lineman that may not be 6 feet tall, is to stay low, maintain leverage, and stay under the defender to drive him out of the play. Perry is flexible and bends well. He gets down very low in his stance, and does so quickly and easily. He explodes out of his stance, staying low, gets his hands into a defender’s chest, and then drives through them to a pancake finish. The stance, explosion, footwork, and hand technique are exceptionally polished, and show the dedication that Perry has to his craft. Perry keeps a good base in pass protection, is light on his feet, shadows pass rushers well, and shows strong hand punch with his long arms. Especially coming from a small school, Perry possesses a technical polish that is exceptionally rare. That technique paired with his size should give Perry a chance to contribute early in Knoxville.
Put Him Where You Need Him
The other facet of Perry’s game that will help him contribute early at the next level is the fact he has the ability to play multiple positions at a high level, without any drop off. Perry swings from left to right tackle and back again within the same drive for Middle Tennessee Christian. He also ran some plays as an unbalanced tackle on tight end. Elarbee has talked with Perry about potentially being a fit for Center in the Tennessee offensive unit thanks to his high football IQ, intelligence, and ability to store and process information. Playing in such a run heavy offense and staying so low, Perry could slide in naturally at Guard as well, and he has the feet and length to be a factor at tackle. Offensive lineman that can play all five positions well are extremely rare, a talent that makes it easier for them to contribute early based on the opportunities. Perry has the fundamentals, the technique, the intelligence, and the physical talent to be a contributor wherever he is first given a chance.
Sneaky Athlete
Perry also plays defensive tackle for the Cougars, and that shines more on his skill set and game. While Perry is headed to the offensive line group when he gets to Knoxville, in high school, he is the anchor on a stout Middle Tennessee Christian School defense. He again stays low out of his stance, fires out, and commands a double team nearly every play. What’s more, he often defeats that double team. The ability to rush the passer effectively, clog up the middle of the line, and run ball carriers down to make tackles, showcases how fast and smooth Perry is. It showcases his burst and how well he moves for his size. The fact he plays every snap on both sides, without fading or tiring, speaks further to his conditioning and athleticism.
A Finely Tuned Product
Small school offensive linemen 
making the jump to the FBS level, especially to the SEC level, often struggle as they have to develop technique to combat facing equal athletes across from them for the first time. Perry is arriving at Tennessee a better athlete than he is given credit for, with impeccable technique already established. Perry may have some adjustments to the speed and size of defenders in the SEC, but expect his learning curve to be brief. Between the technique, intelligence, and work ethic, Perry is primed to succeed early. Perry consistently dominates on film and in person, exactly what scouts look for in players not seeing the best competition all the time. If all that weren’t enough, Perry has the ability to plug on anywhere Glen Elarbee has a hole to fill with his unit. After watching Perry play in person, it feels that he is primed to step into whatever role presents itself first at Tennessee, and then he is going to be a difficult player to get off the field for the Big Orange.
