A huge weekend in Los Angeles continued with a double header at the Trinity League vs. The USA Showcase.
The first game on Saturday was a tilt between California mainstay San Juan Capistrano JSerra and Milton of Georgia.
Four-star 2020 Michigan offensive line commit Jeffrey Persi helped lead JSerra to a grind it out come from behind 17-14 win. Persi was terrific at left tackle for a run heavy offense.
Get a free 60-day trial to TheWolverine.com with promo code Blue60
While his skillset and frame makes him plus pass protector, Persi is more than capable of using his size and strength to overpower defenders in the run game. The towering tackle got low and opened up holes for his running backs.
Persi also impressed when getting to the next level and taking on linebackers. The clip below was one of his more impressive blocks.
As mentioned, Persi was great in pass protection. At 6-foot-7, 265 pounds, Persi used his length to keep edge rushers at bay, and his size alone made it difficult for them to get around him. Persi did not give up any sacks on the day.
There is a lot to be excited about when it comes to Persi. He is still growing into his frame, and while he looked a bit awkward at times, the guy has the potential to grow into a premier left tackle. He can carry about 30 more pounds and once he puts it all together, his ceiling is sky high.
Persi will definitely need a few years to develop, but Michigan offensive line coach Ed Warinner is sure to mold him into a player.
The next matchup featured a slew of Michigan targets as No. 1 Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei and No. 2 Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances collided in perhaps the most anticipated matchup of the high school season.
While it was an all out war in the first quarter, Mater Dei cruised to a 34-18 victory and made a national statement. So let’s go ahead and start off with Michigan targets on the winning side.
Perhaps the most impressive of the Mater Dei underclassmen with offers was 2021 Rivals100 linebacker Raesjon Davis. This is a kid I was impressed with from an athletic standpoint in club 7v7 this offseason. And that translated to the field.
Davis wrecks havoc when rushing off the edge and plays with a ton of energy. His athleticism allows him to move everywhere, and he can play every linebacker position. The four-star prospect always seemed to be around the football and made several big plays.
Michigan’s other 2021 target on the Mater Dei roster, 2021 Rivals100 cornerback Jaylin Davies, had some impressive moments early in the game. Known as a cover corner, Davis came up and laid the wood versus the run.
St. Frances struggled to move the ball through the air throughout the entire contest, and Davies was a big reason for that. He basically locked down his side of the field and didn’t see much action come his way.
Michigan has also offered a pair of 2022 prospects from Mater Dei in wide receiver CJ Williams and defensive back Domani Jackson.
On a wide receiver group full of FBS recruits, Williams really stood out from the pack. He ran great routes, displayed strong hands and proved to be a security blanket for USC quarterback commit Bryce Young.
On the flip side of the coin, Jackson is an intimidating presence on the back end. As mentioned, St. Frances struggled to throw the ball, and Jackson didn’t let anything get behind him. He also made a couple of key pass breakups.
Let’s move onto St. Frances, which featured some great performances and some head scratching performances.
On a positive note, four-star 2020 Michigan running back commit Blake Corum is a stud. Despite St. Frances’ struggles offensively, Corum racked up more than 200 yards of total offense and provided a spark that his team desperately needed.
At 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, Corum is on the smaller side, but he runs hard and is electric with the ball in his hands. He has a tremendous sudden step and can explode through holes.
It wasn’t so much size as it was ball security that concerned me with Corum. He fumbled three times throughout the course of the game, losing one. Corum needs to do a better job of protecting the football moving forward.
If I had to pick an NFL running back to compare Corum to, it would be Phillip Lindsay of the Denver Broncos. Like Lindsay, Corum is a small, thick back capable of breaking off explosive runs and making plays as a pass catcher.
Michigan linebacker commits Osman Savage and Nikhai Hill-Green both had solid games. Of the two, I was more impressed with Savage. He brings a little extra tenacity to the position and is a respected leader on the defense.
Savage appeared a little shorter than his listed 6-foot-2, but he has a relentless motor and is a plus athlete. In fact, Savage saw some time on offense as well and rushed for two touchdowns.
Hill-Green started off slow as he rotated in but really came on later in the game. He stayed on the field and made some key tackle as St. Frances attempted to rally. Hill-Green also did a nice job in coverage.
A three-star prospect, Hill-Green is still a bit of an enigma for me. He didn’t do anything spectacular, but he had some impressive moments as well. The key for him will be development under Don Brown.
Michigan has offered a handful of St. Frances underclassmen as well. The most impressive of the group was four-star 2021 linebacker Aaron Willis.
A true inside linebacker, Willis is very much on the short side. I’m not sure he’s even at his list 6-feet. However, the dude is extremely physical and laid some bone crushing hits early in the game.
I was also impressed with his speed. Willis flies to the football and is a headhunter. He also had a couple of athletic deflections around the line of scrimmage.
I thought 2022 defensive line target Derrick Moore was intriguing. He wasn’t a big factor in the game, but I really liked his frame and athleticism on the edge. I think he’ll grow into a nice player.
Okay, let’s move on to the negative. There was talk at Rivals about bumping Michigan offensive line commit Micah Mazzccua to a four-star prospect, but I think he’s just fine as a three-star recruit.
Mazzccua rotated in and out and just didn’t really move the needle for me. He is listed as a tackle but he best projects as a guard. Mazzccua needs a lot of work from a technical standpoint, and he also needs to improve his feet. I would also like to see him play with more of a mean streak.
Four-star 2021 defensive lineman Katron Evans is a physically impressive looking prospect, but he didn’t see much time for St. Frances. When he did get it, Evans was a bit slow, but he did plug gaps. Rising 2022 defensive line offer Nasir Pearce didn’t get much time either.
Michigan offered 2022 quarterback John Griffith early on, but he really struggled against Mater Dei’s defense. Griffith wasn’t accurate and lacked the traits of an elite player at his position. I know he’s still young, so we’ll see how he develops, but Saturday’s performance left a lot to be desired.
---
• Talk about this article inside The Fort
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine
• Sign up for our newsletter, The Wolverine Now
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @Balas_Wolverine, @EJHolland_TW, @AustinFox42, @JB_ Wolverine and @DrewCHallett
• Like us on Facebook
