Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/638727
2016 RECRUITING ISSUE SPENCER PERRY SAFETY 6-2 • 204 IMG ACADEMY NEWNAN, GA. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 44 63 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 32 71 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 29 58 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 51 88 MEASURABLES • Reportedly clocked a 4.49-second 40-yard dash and a 34-inch vertical leap at a Rivals.com camp. STATISTICS • Collected six tackles before missing the major- ity of his senior season with a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder. • Finished with 34 tackles, including three for loss, his junior season at Auburn (Ala.) High. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on June 29, 2015, 10 days after his visit to campus for the Irish Inva- sion. • Also received offers from Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State, among others. • Took his official visit to campus the weekend of the USC game (Oct. 16-18, 2015). • Originally committed to Florida. • Primarily recruited by Notre Dame defensive backs coach Todd Lyght and running backs coach Autry Denson. NOTABLE • Born June 3, 1997. • Wants to major in philosophy. • First cousin of former Indiana basketball guard Christian Watford (2009-13). • Football didn't become his primary sport until his junior year of high school. Prior to that Perry played hoops and could dunk as a seventh grader. • Played summer ball in his hoops days for the Georgia Stars, which played on the vaunted Nike Elite Youth Basketball League circuit. 2016 PROJECTION • Unlikely to see the field with junior Drue Tranquill, graduate student Avery Sebastian and sophomore Nicco Fertitta all ahead of him on the strong safety depth chart. THEY SAID IT • Head coach Brian Kelly: "Whenever you add an athlete as versatile as Spencer to your program, it's a big deal. As an early enrollee, Spencer is working hard to set himself up for long-term suc- cess." • Defensive backs coach Todd Lyght: "Spencer is like a wise old man … his demeanor is great. He's a young professional. He understands the im- portance of education and player development. "He's a punishing football player; he's the type that likes to impose his will on offenses." • BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: "Perry has impressive length with a thick frame that could al- low him to grow into a linebacker. He gets downhill with authority and looks more comfortable the closer he gets to the line. He plays high but hits with authority. "His transitions are a bit stiff, limiting his ef- fectiveness in man coverage, but he does good work in zone coverage. Perry shows above aver- age speed and range with the ability to quickly work off the hash. He closes well on receivers, takes good angles and when he arrives he deliv- ers big hits."