Name: Jeffrey Persi
Height: 6’8″
Weight: 320 lbs.
High school: Mission Viejo (CA) Junipero Serra
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #79
Last year: I ranked Persi #43 and said he would be a backup offensive tackle (LINK). He started one game at left tackle and played in all fourteen games.
TTB Rating: 82
Persi is a mammoth backup offensive tackle who would have already been starting on many past Michigan teams. The fact that he has only started one game through three seasons on campus is a testament to the depth that Michigan has built on the offensive line, not to mention the steady contributions of Ryan Hayes over the past few seasons. Persi was a backup and played on special teams, and he got a chance to start his first career game against Rutgers last season when Hayes was hurt.
I recently posted about Myles Hinton (LINK) and it was a toss-up between the two regarding whom to rank higher. I think Hinton has more upside, but there are some things to clean up from his time at Stanford. Meanwhile, Persi still looked in the spring like he has some filling out to do. And when you're 6'8", there's just a lot of physical maturation that needs to take place. He seems like a guy who should probably be playing close to 330 lbs., and maybe that time is coming. Anyway, if La'Darius Henderson, Trente Jones, and Karsen Barnhart all depart after 2023, it seems likely that Persi and Hinton will be starting in 2024 at left tackle and right tackle, respectively.
Prediction: Backup offensive tackle
I'm usually here most years arguing that backup OL should be ranked higher but with how loaded we are I can't muster much case for guys like Hinton and Persi being in the top 50. We're too deep for it!
ReplyDeleteAgree w/ Persi ranked ahead
ReplyDelete