“For Jesse, I mean, he’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever been around — perfectionist, always asking questions, always wanting to improve,” [MTCS interim head coach Christopher] Peterson said of Perry..."For example, sophomore year he was 6-4, 215, and we told him, ‘I think there’s something there. I think you can be recruited, but we’ve got to add some weight...And he put himself on an eating plan. He wakes up every morning, cooks himself breakfast. He eats at the same time every day and, I mean, now he’s 6-7, 275. Just very committed to what he’s doing."
...Peterson, who previously coached at Oviedo (Fla.) High School, said he sees a bright future for Perry at Tennessee. “Coming from Florida, I’ve seen what it looks like, and that’s what it looks like — the athleticism, the size, the self-motivation that he’s got,” Peterson said. “Those are the guys that succeed."
..."I think, for him, the sky’s the limit. His best trait is that he’s going to work really hard. If he’s not there when he first gets there, he’s not going to hang his head and sulk. He’s just going to put his head down and start grinding...I think he’ll get to that point, where he’s an SEC starter, honestly, because even if he doesn’t develop there physically, he’s just going to work so hard that eventually he’s going to get himself there. That’s just the kind of kid he is.”