The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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— he previously served as the club's defensive coordinator during Perry's first three years on the team. Jenkins took over the head job in January of 2018 when former coach Tommy Jones departed to take the va- cant position at Cherokee Bluff in Hall County, Ga. Having been around the consensus four-star cornerback all four years of his varsity career, the Dacula coach re- called not only when Perry was moved up, but also when he realized he had a special player on his hands. "We brought him up to varsity as a freshman," Jenkins explained. "He was actually a quarterback at the time, and we needed more depth at the spot. Jalen served as the backup but never started for us [that year]. I was the de- fensive coordinator at the time, and I could already tell he was going to be a heck of a defensive back. "The play that stands out to me the most occurred at Gainesville when he was just a sophomore in 2016. We were in coverage, and Jalen read their of- fense perfectly and grabbed a pick-six. It gave us a 25-20 win. It was one of those plays that just makes you say, 'He has it.' "I could tell he had those fast-twitch abilities, and that's when we knew he had a chance to be special. Jalen also had a good combination of length and size for a corner, along with the intan- gibles that most kids don't have and the ability to play the ball in the air as well as anybody I'd seen." Michigan will actually be very inex- perienced at cornerback heading into the 2019 season, outside of rising-se- nior Lavert Hill, who will be the only player on the roster to have seen ex- tended action at the spot. That could potentially open the door to early play- ing time for somebody with the size, savvy and skills of Perry. "Jalen has a chance to be a great player at Michigan, because he has all the tools to be successful, both aca- demically and athletically," Jenkins concluded. "His ceiling is so high, and I'm anxious to see what he does there. I actually can't wait to watch him play, because it'll be my first time seeing The Big House." ❑ 2019 Projection Stalwart cornerback Lavert Hill will be a senior in 2019, and junior Ambry Thomas and redshirt sopho- more Benjamin St-Juste will both be vying for the spot opposite of him. Redshirt freshmen Myles Sims, Vincent Gray and Gemon Green also reside at cornerback. Perry will have several players with at least one year of experience al- ready ahead of him on the depth chart once the 2019 campaign kicks off. However, he and fellow 2019 cornerback signee D.J. Turner could push to see the field as rookies. DID YOU KNOW? • Helped lead Dacula to an 11-3 record in 2018 and the fourth round of the 6A Georgia state playoffs. • His mom played college basketball at Auburn University at Montgomery, while his father played tennis at Truett McCon- nell College in Georgia. • He is cousins with former NFL wide receiver Tavarres King, who attended Georgia before spending time with six different NFL squads. • Played football, basketball and baseball growing up, and said he was actually the best at baseball. His focus shifted to football in middle school, but he admitted that playing all three sports helped him become more versatile and athletic. • His grandparents used to take him swimming and fishing when he was young, and he has had an admiration for the outdoors ever since. His biggest catch was a 20-pound catfish. • Lettered in basketball during his first three high school seasons. • Carried the ball 42 times for 332 yards (7.9 per touch) as a senior in 2018, and had 26 catches for 297 yards (11.4 average) with a total of five touchdowns. • Totaled 1,450 all-purpose yards and 12 touchdowns in 2017. He averaged 14.8 yards per carry and 19.9 yards per reception, while also posting clips of 22.5 yards per kickoff return and 8.9 yards per punt runback. • As a sophomore in 2016, he rushed 16 times for 174 yards (10.9 average) and a touchdown, while catching six balls for 65 yards (10.8-yard clip). THEY SAID IT • Rivals.com Southeast recruiting analyst Chad Sim- mons: "Jalen is a very versatile defensive back who can play anywhere across the board, from corner, to safety, to nickel. He has very good ball skills and size, is quite athletic and does everything well. I think he'll play early at Michigan if necessary." • Dacula (Ga.) High head coach Clint Jenkins: "Jalen is a great kid, and I told coaches all throughout the re- cruiting process that he is a no-risk type of player. He checks all the boxes — great character, great student, great player and great family. I am very excited for him and his opportunity at Michigan, and have no doubt he will have a great career in Ann Arbor." MARCH 2019 THE WOLVERINE 53 Perry snared 11 interceptions over the final three years of his prep career at Dacula (Ga.) High School. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM