The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1083898
Georgia Cornerback Jalen Perry Made A Late Switch To Michigan STATISTICS Year Tackles INT PBU 2018 28 3 12 2017 50 3 15 2016 40 5 — HONORS • Pegged first-team Atlanta Journal- Constitution All-State in Georgia's Class AAAAAA as an athlete as a junior and at defensive back as a senior. • Named first-team USA Today All- State as a senior at defensive back. • Atlanta Journal-Constitution Region 8-AAAAAA Player of the Year in 2017 and Athlete of the Year in 2018; the honors are voted on by the coaches. • First-team Gwinnett Daily Post All- County in both 2018 and 2017. • All-county scholar athlete from 2015-18. • Gwinnett Touchdown Club Defen- sive Back of the Year as a junior. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Georgia in Oct. 2017, but decommitted from the Bulldogs on Oct. 4, 2018, and pledged to Michi- gan — over South Carolina and Flor- ida — on Nov. 19, 2018, following a visit for the Indiana game. • He also visited U-M for the Nov. 3 win over Penn State two weeks prior to committing. • Head coach Jim Harbaugh, corner- backs coach Mike Zordich and safe- ties coach Chris Partridge headlined Perry's recruitment. • He told Harbaugh he was coming to Michigan while the two were hav- ing dinner, after a big bite of "Michi- gan pancakes," to which Harbaugh stood up and celebrated. JALEN PERRY CORNERBACK 6-1 • 185 DACULA HIGH SCHOOL DACULA, GA. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 190 17 19 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 268 26 29 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 235 21 31 2019 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY AUSTIN FOX Since head coach Jim Harbaugh took over at Michigan prior to the 2015 sea- son, he has made it a priority to recruit the talent-rich state of Georgia. Those efforts paid off in a big way in 2019, when the Wolverines landed five recruits who call the Peach State home, including a five-star, Norcross Greater Atlanta Christian defensive tackle Christopher Hinton, and two four-stars, Loganville Grayson offen- sive tackle Trente Jones and Dacula High cornerback Jalen Perry. The latter's recruitment was perhaps the most intriguing of the bunch. Perry committed to the home-state Georgia Bull- dogs as a junior in October of 2017, but re-opened his recruitment one year later the following October. "Michigan was defi- nitely interested in him while he was still committed to Geor- gia," Dacula head coach Clint Jenkins recalled. "U-M came through our of- fices a few times and sat down with me. Jalen had his mind set on Georgia then, but Michigan touched base and opened up a line of communication. "When he finally decided to open things back up, U-M was right there in the right place at the right time. It actually wound up working out well for both parties." Michigan and Georgia weren't the only two powerhouse schools that were interested in the 6-1, 185-pounder, however, with Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oklahoma all having extended scholarship offers as well. "I think Jalen enjoyed parts of the recruiting process," the Dacula head man explained. "He got plenty of at- tention, but he also told me there were days where he just had to get away from his phone. "I think he liked it at first, but just wanted to move away from it after a while, because that's just not the kind of kid he is. He never was a vocal kid for us and didn't draw attention to himself. He led by example on the field. Our kids respected him so much for it, and loved how he went about his business. Jalen wasn't just a great kid on the field and in the locker room, but also in school. "He was an outstanding student and is the kind of kid you want around all the time. If everyone was more like him, my job would be a lot easier." The 2018 campaign was actually Jen- kins' first as the head coach at Dacula Dacula head coach Clint Jenkins "Jalen wasn't just a great kid on the field and in the locker room, but also in school. He was an outstanding student and is the kind of kid you want around all the time. If everyone was more like him, my job would be a lot easier." Perry was a two-time Atlanta Journal-Constitution AAAAAA first-team All-State pick, making the squad as an athlete his junior year and as a defensive back his senior season. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN 52 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2019