The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1111798
MAY 2019 THE WOLVERINE 53 PREP PROFILES Michigan offered San Juan Capist- rano (Calif.) JSerra Catholic three-star offensive tackle Jeffrey Persi in late January, and it immediately grabbed the 6-7, 265-pounder's attention. "Coach [Ed] Warinner came to see me," Persi explained. "He offered me and I was blown away. Man, it's Michigan. I am so grateful to be in the position I'm in, and to have schools and coaches who believe in me and my efforts is certainly humbling. "The Michigan offer definitely is special. A great coach like Coach Warinner flying to Cali to offer me an unbelievable opportunity is special." Part of what makes the U-M offer so appealing to Persi is that he has a family connection to the state. "My dad spent a few years grow- ing up really close to the campus, so I know what it's like there," Persi ex- plained. "I really want to research the school more, the academics and what the football players are majoring in." The big junior tackle and his fa- ther made their way to Ann Arbor in late March, and the visit lived up to expectations. "I really had a great time there," Persi said. "It was great to finally get to meet Coach Warinner and Coach [Josh] Hendershot and Coach [Jim] Harbaugh, and get a feel for what Michigan is about. I got to see the campus, watch their practice and get a feel for the whole operation." The meeting with Warinner really seemed to hit home with the prep big man. The veteran O-line coach laid out exactly why he likes Persi, and that message has U-M in a good spot with the California native. "Coach Warinner said he definitely sees me as a left tackle on the next level, and they feel like they can be a really good place for me to develop and reach my full potential," Persi explained. The visit to Michigan went well, but Persi still plans to see more schools before making any decisions. He mentioned Oklahoma, Washing- ton, UCLA and USC as colleges he wants to see unofficially, and then he will figure out where he will go for official visits. Only one official visit is pretty cer- tain at this point. The JSerra Catholic standout said a return trip to Michi- gan will almost certainly happen. — Brandon Brown It's become obvious that Michigan would like to land two running backs in the 2020 class, and it could be any combination of a true running back, an all-purpose back or an athlete that could play the position. That thinking is supported by an early-April offer to Harvey (La.) John Curtis three-star athlete Corey Wren. The 5-10, 165-pounder got the news from running backs coach Jay Har- baugh, which seems to indicate that is where Harbaugh would like to uti- lize Louisiana standout. "Coach Jay reached out to me and said he really liked my film. We had a long conversation on the phone before I received the offer," Wren explained. "I was excited, e s p e c i a l l y knowing the c u l t u r e o f Michigan football. "It's a big stage, and I'm thankful to be in this position." Harbaugh laid out exactly why he decided to offer Wren, and it's pretty clear that versatility is one of Wren's most attractive attributes. "Speaking with Coach Jay was great. He was honest with me and really talked to me," Wren explained. "He asked me what I think is the best position for me. "I told him I could play anything — running back, wide receiver, kick- off return and punt return. He said he sees all that in my film." Michigan was offer No. 22 for Wren, meaning that he has plenty of solid options to think about for a while. "I base everything off relation- ships and who w a n t s m e , " Wr e n s a i d . "Florida State, Wa s h i n g t o n State, Kansas, TCU, Arizona State, Arizona, Boston College, West Virginia are some of the schools I'm high on. "Michigan and Penn State are in there now also." With several schools sticking out to him and new offers continually com- ing in, Wren knows he'll have to pare his options down and make tough decisions at some point. He seems to be strongly consid- ering Michigan, and a trip to Ann Arbor would go a long way towards him learning even more about the Wolverines. He doesn't have a date picked out for a visit, but it sounds like there's enough interest that it will probably happen. As a junior, Wren carried the ball 82 times for 886 yards and 10 touch- downs. He also had seven catches for 95 yards and returned a punt for a score. — Brandon Brown Long, Lean Tackle Is High On Michigan After Offer And Visit The Wolverines Offer Versatile Athlete Out Of Louisiana ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ JSerra Catholic H.S. San Juan Capistrano, Calif. Class: 2020 Position: Offensive Tackle Ht.: 6-7 • Wt.: 265 Rivals.com Rankings: No. 33 prospect in California and No. 42 offensive tackle nationally Jeffrey Persi ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ John Curtis H.S. Harvey, La. Class: 2020 Position: Athlete Ht.: 5-10 • Wt.: 165 Rivals.com Rankings: No. 38 prospect in Louisiana Corey Wren Persi "The Michigan offer definitely is special. A great coach like Coach [Ed] Warinner flying to Cali to offer me an unbeliev- able opportunity is special." Wren on his U-M offer "I was excited, especially knowing the culture of Michigan football. It's a big stage, and I'm thankful to be in this position."