SI All-American: Breaking Down Louisville S Commit Benjamin Perry

SI All-American breaks down 2020 watch list candidate Louisville safety commit Benjamin Perry

SI All-American has announced their watch list for the 2020 Sports Illustrated All-America team of high school senior football players, and Louisville safety commit Benjamin Perry was among the 1,000 candidates named.

Here is their full evaluation of Perry:

Prospect: Benjamin Perry
Status: SI All-American candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-3, 190 pounds
School: Chicago (Ill.) Mount Carmel 
Position: Safety
Committed to: Louisville
Projected Position: Free Safety

Frame: Tall and lean. Broad shoulders. Long arms. A bit high waisted. Relatively thick, tightly-wound lower half. Ample room for mass and muscle as needed.

Athleticism: Long-strider in the open field. Good speed on tape, with shows better burst. Light, active feet. Somewhat limited hip flexibility. Plays with power, arriving with a punch as a tackler. Solid ball skills.

Instincts: Natural awareness and football IQ. Anticipatory defender in the defensive backfield, reading keys and quarterback’s eyes before committing to the ball. Good timing as blitzer. Keen understanding of angles in pursuit.

Polish: Clearly understands roles and responsibilities. Sound tackler; chops feet and fires in the hole, goes low in the open field. Backpedal and overall footwork in defensive backfield need refining. Rarely asked to turn and run with receivers one-on-one.

Bottom Line: Perry’s impressive frame, solid athleticism and innate anticipation are a perfect fit for the modern game. Should remain at safety for Louisville, though don’t be surprised if he bulks up enough to play different roles based on scheme and opposition. Projects as impact multi-year starter.

Related - SI All-American watch list: 13 Louisville Cardinals commits named

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