Winston mentors QB recruit
Heisman winner’s pointer to Perry: Focus on details.
N’Kosi Perry is a Hurricane, through and through.
But he doesn’t mind taking advice from a Seminole.
Pe r r y, Mi a mi ’s h i g h l y touted quarterback recruit, has been studying under Jameis Winston, whom he knows through a mutual friend.
Perr y told The Post by phone Tuesday he met Winston through P.J. Williams, the former FSU cornerback now playing for the New Orleans Saints. Williams and Perry grew up near each other in Ocala and attended Vanguard High five graduating classes apart. Perry met Winston during his FSU days.
Advice from the former national champion, Heisman winner, No. 1 overall draft pick and Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ starting quarterback can only help Perry as he tries to win the Miami starting job, which was vacated by NFL-bound Brad Kaaya.
“I l e a r ned a l o t o f t he smaller things. Quarterback stuff,” Perry said, adding that Winston told him to “always be a leader, process information, and focus on the smaller things.”
Perry, who was rated the No. 3 dual-threat quarterback and No. 84 player overall in the 2017 signing class by ESPN, won’t be in Coral Gables for spring drills — he said he plans to arrive May 22 — but his talent level means he will be a factor in the quarterback race this fall. Coaches believe he can be a Deshaun Watson-caliber talent, which is undoubtedly another reason Winston wanted to work with him.
Winston’s advice on winning the starting job?
“Just play football and focus on the details,” Perry said.
Early enrollee Cade Weldon will try to impress Hurricanes coaches this spring, along with redshirt freshman-to-be Jack Allison, red- shirt sophomore Evan Shirreffs, redshirt junior Malik Rosier and walk-on Vincent Te s t ave rd e . C oach Mark Richt has said the battle is likely to last until the second scrimmage of fall camp.
On the day Perry signed his letter of intent with UM, quarterbacks coach Jon Richt described him as a “t all, more athletic, very loose guy that has a cannon for an arm,” and likened him to another former FSU Heisman winner, Charlie Ward.
“He’ll be able to make plays that sometimes shouldn’t have been made that are awesome,” Jon Richt said. “But he’s gotta be a guy that makes the consistent play, the play that day-in and dayout we need him to make.”
Another focus for Perry is adding weight — he’s listed at 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds — and becoming a vocal presence, in addition to learning the offense. Perry regularly texts and video chats with coaches and has access to certain areas of the playbook.
He said hi s classes thi s spring end at 12:30 p.m., so he spends his afternoons lifting, training and, once school is out for the day, throwing with receivers.