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Tennessee football: Alabama 2020 DE Reginald Perry commits to Vols

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images) /
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Continuing their early signing period recruiting momentum, Tennessee football got a defensive end. Reginald Perry of Fairfield, Ala. chose the Volunteers.

Jeremy Pruitt was on a roll Wednesday morning. After scoring a commitment from one athlete and then flipping another athlete, Tennessee football secured a commitment from a strongside defensive end out of Alabama.

Reginald Perry chose the Vols over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Kentucky Wildcats and UAB Blazers Wednesday morning. He was UT’s third pickup that morning, building on a major amount of momentum under Pruitt.

Rocky Top’s 21st commitment overall, Perry is the first defensive end to commit to the Vols and the fourth overall defensive lineman. He made public his commitment to Tennessee football Wednesday morning and then confirmed it on Twitter.

A three-star on Rivals, Perry is the No. 33 ranked player at his position nationally and the No. 33 ranked player in the state of Alabama. So he’s not as highly-touted as other players Pruitt has gone after, but he fits Pruitt’s profile nonetheless.

At 6’5″ 245 pounds, Perry fulfills a major need for the Vols. He could play edge rusher or line up at defensive end, and with Darrell Taylor gone after this year, Pruitt is looking for a lot of help at those positions.

Related Story. Vols 2020 early signing period primer. light

Because of that, Perry is a major pickup. According to Ryan Callahan of GoVols247, Perry could play multiple positions on the defensive line and maybe even the offensive line. It depends on how he develops. Here is a look at his highlight reel.

As you can see, Perry can clearly play both sides of the ball. He maintains blocks very well as an offensive tackle, and he’s great at getting off blocks and getting to the right position in order to stop the run on defense.

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Of course, at 245 pounds, he isn’t yet big enough to play anywhere on the offensive line in the SEC. And he didn’t show a great ability to rush the passer, largely due to lack of speed, which is something he will have to overcome at this level. But he is another body, and he does bring depth. So he’s exactly what Tennessee football needs right now.

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