New Blue: Michigan OL commit Jeffrey Persi talks commitment, brotherhood between players, coaches

2020 3-star offensive lineman Jeffrey Persi ended his recruiting by committing to the Michigan Wolverines on June 24.

We caught up with him to discuss his visit and what pushed him to commit to Jim Harbaugh and his staff.

Persi detailed the weekend, including the strong relationships that the players and recruits had with the coaches. He went through what many of the 13 recruits that visited Ann Arbor on June 21-23 visit.

“We spent a lot of time with the coaches during the day and touring more of the campus,” Persi said. “They set up meetings with the counseling adviser, tours of the Ross Business School and the dorms, and made sure we were all having a great time. During the evening we bowled and really just hung out at Ben (Bredeson)’s house around a fire in his backyard talking. They all really helped me have a better understanding of their program, the school and what the future will look like for me if I went to school there.”

One of the most important aspects of the visit for Persi was one that was tailored specifically for him. He stayed with junior right end Peter Bush, who resides in Newport Beach, California.

Persi, a California resident himself, touched on how import that detail was by the recruitment staff.

“(Bush) really helped with understanding the pros & cons with leaving home, visiting with family, and the weather change from what it’s like in So Cal here,” he said.

Persi also spoke of the bond that he built with Bush and some of the other guys on the team. Specifically some talented senior offensive lineman and top recruits that he spent got to know well during his visit.

“I spent a lot of time with Ben Bredeson and Greg Robinson which was awesome helping me to realize the offensive line vibe, the coaching and vision of the program. As for the recruits, I spent the most time with was Zak Zinter, Reece Atteberry and Matt Hibner. We all meshed very well and had a great time together. Can’t wait to get there and go to work with them all.”

All three of those recruits that Persi spent time with also committed to Michigan in the past two months.

In regards to the coaching staff, Persi highlighted Ed Warinner’s role in his commitment.

“Coach Warinner also has a very impressive resume and I believe he will do whatever’s necessary to coach me up, both on and off the field, to help me achieve my ultimate goal playing beyond college,” he said.

Warinner has been an offensive line coach since 1992 and has experience coaching at Army, Kansas, Ohio State and Notre Dame. He has helped build some of the best offensive lineman in college football and beyond in his nearly 30 years of experience.

But it was not just Warinner that impressed Persi, but the entire coaching staff.

“The coaches are an example of why that brotherhood is (among) the players,” he said. “They are very supportive and obviously care more about the men versus the overall records. They believe the byproducts of championships is great student-athletes and becoming a family off the field first.”

The brotherhood Persi spoke of is exactly why he committed to becoming a Wolverines.

“My top reasons for making the commitment to U-M is the teammates and how they value the brotherhood on that team,” Persi said. “You usually see it from position groups, but this team carries it across the whole team. They realize what the goal is and they will do whatever’s necessary to achieve it for the team.”