The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OCTOBER 2016 THE WOLVERINE 53 PREP PROFILES For a long time Las Vegas Bishop Gorman four-star cornerback Alex Perry planned to make his college de- cision before his senior season started but, as that milestone approached, he realized he wasn't ready. The 5-10, 165-pounder, who was already committed to Arizona State at one point, decided he'd like to take all of his official visits before he makes a final decision. Arizona State, Colorado, Michigan and North Carolina will receive trips, and then the Las Vegas Bishop Gor- man standout said he plans to finalize his choice. Perry recently visited both Arizona State and Colorado, leading some to think those are his top two choices. Factor in that his o l d e r b r o t h e r, A r m a n d , p l a y s d e f e n s i v e b a c k for ASU, and it's believed the Sun Devils might still be the overall team to beat. A recent trip to Boulder gave him a lot of scenic things to tweet about, and he said, "It can't get better than this," when referencing a picture of Folsom Field with the Rocky Mountains in the background. Still, Perry has held off on a com- mitment and has stood firm on want- ing to visit U-M. "I'm just trying to break my schools down and trying to see what school fits me the most," he said. Playing for Bishop Gorman, the na- tion's No. 1 team according to Max- Preps.com, Perry is part of a loaded secondary that includes fellow four- star talent Bubba Bolden, Rivals. com's No. 151 overall player. Even with Division I prospects all around him, Perry has managed to stick out. As a junior, he had three interceptions and 27 tackles, in- cluding 4.5 for loss and a sack from his corner spot. He was a first-team A l l - S o u t h w e s t League pick and earned a spot inside the Rivals250, at No. 197 overall na- tionally and the No. 18 spot among 2017 cornerbacks in the country. Rivals.com West recruiting analyst Adam Gorney sees a lot to like about Perry. "The four-star has fantastic feet, he flips his hips and runs with receivers with no problem, and he's excellent breaking on the ball and poking the pass away," Gorney said. "Perry has a lot of great options but it seems like some schools have slow- played him through the offseason." Michigan is not in that group, and now it's time for an official visit to take place. Expect Perry to be in Ann Arbor for the Wisconsin game on Oct. 1, which is shaping up to be the marquee visit weekend during U-M's 2016 slate. — Brandon Brown For a while it looked like Flint (Mich.) Southwestern Academy three-star de- fensive end Deron Irving-Bey was a lock to end up at Michigan State. The 6-5, 245-pounder gushed about receiv- ing an offer from the Spartans, while Michigan was nowhere to be found. Eventually the Wolverines offered the No. 9 player in the state, and while the Spartans still seem to be a little more attractive to Irving-Bey, he is definitely paying attention to the Maize and Blue. Several scheduled visits to Ann Ar- bor fell through for the in-state product, but he finally made it to campus for Michigan's BBQ this summer and re- turned for U-M's season opener against Hawai'i. The visit couldn't have gone any better. Of course, when the greatest basket- ball player of all time is an honorary captain and greets you, it tends to make for a special experience. "It was really great," Irving-Bey said. "I shook hands with Michael Jordan. It was my first big college game, and it went really well. I saw a good game and had a safe trip home. It was per- fect." Rivals.com Midwest recruiting an- alyst Josh Helmholdt recently broke down Irving-Bey's likely top three, a group that also included Maryland, but thinks it will come down to Maize and Blue or Green and White. "Irving-Bey has been forthcoming about he and his family being Michi- gan fans prior to starting the recruiting process," Helmholdt explained. "The Wolverines got in on the Flint native later than their in-state Big Ten coun- terparts, however. "Michigan State got in early and made a huge impression, eliciting strong emotions from Irving-Bey with their offer. The relationship has only grown since then, and you have to look at the Spartans as the team to beat here." Irving-Bey echoed those sentiments when he talked to MLive.com's Eric Woodyard this summer. "The biggest two offers that really got me were Michigan and Michigan State," Irving-Bey said. "… When I finally got an offer from Michigan, it was just really amazing that they really wanted me to play for them." As a junior, Irving-Bey racked up 73 total tackles (63 solo) with 23 tackles for loss, six sacks and a fumble recovery. Numbers like that made him a national prospect, and he couldn't be more ex- cited about coming to a final decision. — Brandon Brown U-M Is On The Map For Four-Star Vegas Cornerback In-State Defensive End Is Showing Michigan More Love ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Bishop Gorman H.S. Las Vegas Class: 2017 Position: Cornerback Ht.: 5-10 • Wt.: 165 Rivals.com Rankings: No. 18 corner- back and No. 197 overall prospect in the nation Alex Perry ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Southwestern Academy Flint, Mich. Class: 2017 Position: Defensive end Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 245 Rivals.com Rankings: No. 16 strong- side defensive end in the country Deron Irving-Bey Perry on taking visits before making a decision "I'm just trying to break my schools down and trying to see what school fits me the most." Irving-Bey on his visit to Michigan "It was really great. I shook hands with Michael Jordan. It was my first big college game, and it went really well."