The Huskies continue to target some of the top offensive linemen out West heading into the 2020 recuriting cycle, and last week and offer went out to San Juan Capistrano, CA. tackle, Jeffrey Persi.
At 6-7, 265, Persi is one of less than ten offers that have been extended so far for the position, but things have been trending up for him where Washington is concerned.
“I am extremely excited to have received the offer from Coach Huff”, Persi told Realdawg.com this week, “UW has always been a program that has interested me and I am definitely planning to visit on an unofficial sometime in April or May. I don’t have an exact date yet but between my parents and I, we believe April or May will work out the best for us”.
The Huskies do like Persi at tackle, of course, and he’s a tough lineman with solid hand placement and footwork.
He is a taller tackle, but he has a strong ability to bend and stay low, “My strengths on the field …are the ability to move quickly in open space, and footwork”, Persi said.
Persi has already established a good relationship with both his position coach and recruiting coach, Scott Huff, “I’ve been fortunate to meet him a few times now and I know he’s been in close contact with my coaches for awhile”, Persi explained, “I kept hoping to receive an offer, based off of the interest I heard from them, but I started to think they may have changed their interest after so much time.”
Persi said that he understands that Washington doesn’t just jump in offer guys unless they’ve done their research, “It’s been explained to me, by my coaches, that Washington definitely did more research into potential recruits and to just stay focused on the process and working hard”, he explained, “After my last conversation with Coach Huff he reassured me of that process of taking their time and doing their research. He also explained that Washington is one of very few programs that hand out a bunch of offers, which makes it even more special to be thought of like that”.
Last week the whole thing came full circle when Huff told Persi to call Chris Petersen, and at 6:30 pm that evening the die was cast and Persi put in that call.
“I had no idea that Coach Huff had spoken with my parents earlier in the day and explained to them what they had planned”, Persi said, “So at 6:30 that night I called Coach Peterson, introduced myself, and was asked that I place my phone on speaker so that my parents could be involved. After a few minutes of talking about how they’ve been following me, tracking my film and progression as an OT, watching my grades and talking closely with my coaches, he extended the offer and told me that I fit the mold of the type of student-athlete they have rostered”.
This was a pretty big deal for Persi, “I was lost for words and my dad kept signaling me to talk”, he said, “All I could get out was that I appreciated everything Coach Peterson said and for offering me. ”
Persi is a very bright young man who will flourish at a prestigious university academically, and yet he also wants to flourish on the field. But they always say that offensive linemen have to be the smartest guys on the field, so it’s no wonder the Huskies offered.
“We discussed my High School program, our discipline, coaches and the past and previous players on their roster (Dante Pettis, Nick Harris & Luke Wattenberg) as well as a visit in the near future”, Persi said, “Of every offer I’ve received so far this has been the very first I’ve received from the head coach. I was blown away.”
The Huskies join 16 others in offering Persi, and we will keep tabs going forward on his progress.
