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Commitment 101: Perry

The Spring Fiesta turned into a commitment party after the dust settled in the Alamodome. The fireworks in recruiting overshadowed the work done by the team just 24 hours before when UTSA picked up two commitments from high school players and landed pledges from two transfers. One of those prep commits was Crosby High School cornerback Tay’lor Perry. Here is his Commitment 101.

Skillset:

Speed. The buzz word around UTSA spring practice was speed. The new staff wants players who can run and Perry defines that concept to perfection. The kid can absolutely fly and he uses his speed to his advantage at cornerback. He’s excellent in 1-on-1 situations, understands zone spacing and doesn’t mind some contact. His highlights show him as a ball-hawk with makeup speed, but the most impressive highlights on his Hudl might be in run-support.

At 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, Perry isn’t the biggest cornerback. He’s also not the smallest. He uses his length to his advantage and his jumping skills make it tough for taller wide receivers to out jump him for balls on third down and deep down the field. Even when he is beat, Perry’s elite speed gives him the ability to make up ground on a receiver with the ball in the air.

Here is what I wrote about Perry in Dave Campbell’s recruiting magazine this winter, “There isn’t much Perry can’t do at cornerback. He’s physical at the line of scrimmage and when the ball is in the air. He’s also athletic enough to stay with any wide receiver he matches up against. All Perry needs is more reps and that comes with experience.“

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Immediate impact:

UTSA currently has six scholarship cornerbacks on campus and all six are set to return for the 2017 season when Perry would arrive on campus if his pledge to UTSA sticks. This gives Perry a chance to work his way into the college game if he’s not completely ready as a true freshman. The caliber of athlete the new staff is recruiting should compete against the upperclassmen right away, and that is Perry’s goal. His blend of athleticism and understanding of the position is unique and the three-star talent is good enough to work his way into the rotation right away. That said, a redshirt season is always helpful and the depth at the position might allow the staff to tuck him away in 2017 and keep his four years of eligibility for the future.

Fitting into the program:

UTSA needs help at the cornerback position. It was one of the weaker positions in Coker’s tenure and the new staff understands the value in top-flight cornerbacks who are capable of playing man-coverage. Perry’s commitment was a big step forward for the staff and it signifies a victory at a high school program that churns out talent. Perry will have no problem fitting in at UTSA.

Recruiting at the position:

First-year head coach makes no bones about his recruiting philosophy. UTSA wants to be aggressive and the staff thinks the level of player UTSA recruited in the past can be improved. Perry, a legitimate three-star talent, is one of the top-rated players the Roadrunners have secured this early in the recruiting process. I’d expect UTSA wants one or two more cornerbacks with JUCO Jaylon Lane set to join the team in this class, as well.

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