Name: Ben Perry

Class: 2021

Position: Linebacker or safety

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 186 pounds

Location/School: Mount Carmel, Chicago,

Rivals Ranking: 5.6 Three-Star| 45th-ranked safety | 22nd-ranked prospect in the state of Illinois

Committed to: Louisville

On Film:

Perry is a do-it-all playmaker for the Mount Carmel defense who has experience at linebacker and safety. He does most of his damage at free safety. He's a long rangy athlete with good explosion and short-area coil that creates violent impacts on tight ends and ball carriers caught in his pursuant angle.

His versatility allows him to slide down to linebacker and bring heat off the edge. He has above-average speed for a safety but he does an excellent job of diagnosing route combinations and takes great pursuit angles so he plays fast and covers ground efficiently. There is very little to no wasted movement (false steps) once the bullets start flying around him which shows good position awareness and instincts. Mount Carmel likes to sneak him down from safety and blitz him off the edge. He does a good job of timing his blitzes, often producing a devastating impact on target.

A ball hawk in the secondary, Perry tracks the ball and adjusts well. His plus length makes him a threat to get his hands on anything thrown in his vicinity. He also has good hands but a lot of the throws he intercepts on film aren't thrown with great velocity. In man coverage against slot receivers he maintains his leverage throughout the route allowing him to win by alignment. Due to his size and tenacity he isn't afraid to run his alley and throw his face in the line against the run. It also looks like he enjoys trying to knock out tight ends over the middle.

No high school prospect is a finished product but some are more finished than others. In Perry's case he has a good frame that can easily add another 25-pounds of muscle. Most of his gains can be made to his upper body, which is preferred. He isn't the most fluid athlete but he does have enough twitch and change of direction to play safety. In Louisville's defense however, he's best suited to play as an outside linebacker who can cover and come off the edge. He shows a tendency to drop to his knees after contact and will have to work on running his legs through contact but his attack form is good and shows good near foot, near shoulder discipline. He's also going to have to lay off the headhunting or he's going to get a few targeting penalties but to quote Jimbo Fisher "You'd rather say whoa than giddy-up." He's long but not necessarily bouncy. That can improve, however, as he gets stronger and puts more force in the ground his leaping ability will increase, and hopefully, the same thing will happen with his top-end speed.

How it translates:

Overall there isn't much not to like about Perry. Louisville is a perfect fit for him because of how he will be used at the Card position in their defense. The attributes a Card should posses in Louisville's defense are as follows: Long and athletic with a high football IQ, good straight-line speed, and change of direction. They have to be stout at the point of attack and use their hands well to destroy blocks. In open space they have to be comfortable in coverage and tackle well. In a nutshell they're ideally long athletes with adequate speed and change of direction who can cover, play in the box, and be able to sneak up to the line of scrimmage and blitz.

Perry fits the bill of Louisville's Card position almost to a tee and should see the field early an often as a true freshman.