Better Know a Freshman: Thomas Perry

Recently-hired offensive line coach James Cregg was already coming off getting commitments from Charles Turner and Anthony Bradford heading into the summer. Cregg brought with him a Super Bowl-winning coaching pedigree, and was a coach alongside and under Ed Orgeron during their time at USC in the early 2010s. The summer camps came around and Cregg settled in on another big lineman, this one a little down the road in Lafayette.

The Story

There really isn’t much to this one. Perry, a massive offensive lineman from Teurlings Catholic in Lafayette, didn’t waste too much time committing to LSU shortly after earning an offer at their camp before their junior year. Texas A&M showed interest a few weeks earlier with his performance at their camp, but Perry shut things down after committing to the Tigers.

The Numbers

110 - 101 = Franchise Player. One of the best players to come along in years, if not decades. Odds of having a player in this category every year is slim. This prospect has “can’t miss” talent.

100 - 98 = Five-star prospect. One of the top 30 players in the nation. This player has excellent pro-potential and should emerge as one of the best in the country before the end of his career. There will be 32 prospects ranked in this range in every football class to mirror the first round of the NFL Draft.

97 - 90 = Four-star prospect. One of the top 300 players in the nation. This prospect will be an impact-player for his college team. He is an All-American candidate who is projected to play professionally.

89 - 80 = Three-star prospect. One of the top 10% players in the nation. This player will develop into a reliable starter for his college team and is among the best players in his region of the country. Many three-stars have significant pro potential.

79 - below = Two-star prospect. This player makes up the bulk of Division I rosters. He may have little pro-potential, but is likely to become a role player for his respective school.

247 Composite Rating: ***

247 Composite Ranking: .8850

Perry didn’t really move around much following his junior season, hovering around the mid-450s.

The Film

(Junior Footage)

It’s difficult judging the talent of an offensive lineman based off their high school film because normally (and especially in the case of Perry) he is just much stronger than your atypical high school football player. Perry directs his blocking assignment to whichever side he wants at will. I’m not quite sure if he has the footwork to play on the outside in the SEC, where you have to deal with the quick pass rushers that constantly hear their names called at the NFL Draft, and with a listed weight of 341 pounds on the LSU website, they may be already be in the process of moving him inside. Early photos from camp show the linemen slimming down, like Saahdiq Charles, so someone like Perry may get some work done in the gym to improve on his outlook.

The Future

The first question that will need to be answered is one I indirectly proposed: Where on the line is Perry the best fit? That will be something that will come following a likely redshirt year this coming season. I think he definitely has the strength to play as a guard, and has pretty good athleticism for that spot. It would be his best shot at playing time.

High End: Carves up his frame with help from Tommy Moffitt and becomes a powerful force on the line as an upperclassmen.

Low End: Perry has issues adjusting to SEC football, finding himself buried on the depth chart and winds up transferring to a smaller in-state school.

Realistic: It is going to come down to his work ethic. I think he will become a serviceable backup due to his strength, which can help in the run game. However, if Joe Brady continues injecting more of this spread offense into the gameplan, it might spell trouble for Perry.