IS4S SALUTE TO VETERANS BOWL: Perry back home after constant changes in college career

After transferring three times, former Pike Road star Khurtiss Perry seems to have found a home at Jacksonville State. He returns to the River Region on Tuesday for the IS4S Salute To Veterans Bowl at Cramton Bowl. (Courtesy Jacksonville State Athletics)

By TIM GAYLE

It took four years and three different programs, but Khurtiss Perry has finally found his home.

Perry, one of the state’s top prospects after leading Pike Road to the 5A state championship in 2021, rarely saw the field in 2022 and 2023 at the University of Alabama so he elected to transfer to Virginia Tech for the 2024 season.

“It didn’t (work) but we’re thankful to be where we’re at right now,” Perry said. “I can’t complain at all.”

Perry had been dominant for coaches and recruiting analysts watching the 5A championship game with Pleasant Grove in Birmingham in 2021. He finished the year with 76 tackles, 22 sacks and 30 quarterback hurries -- numbers that made him one of the top recruits in the nation.

At Alabama, he only played in one game in 2023 after redshirting in 2022. At Virginia Tech, he played in just one game in 2024. He decided to enter the portal again after looking over potential candidates in the state.  

”I was on the way to visit (Jacksonville State) when I got back in the portal coming out of VTech,” Perry said, “but when I knew Coach (Charles) Kelly was getting the coaching job, that’s my man. I was going with him on Day One.”

That’s because Kelly was the recruiting contact for Perry when the former was a secondary coach at Alabama, so Perry had developed a relationship with the veteran coach.

“It’s been perfect, it’s been wonderful, finding a great coach like Coach Kelly who believes in me and trusts me,” Perry said. “I came in and fit into the program great. I’ve just been waiting on a great opportunity and that’s what he gave me and I took advantage of it and I’m having a great year.”

After a slow start, Kelly has seen Perry develop as a defensive tackle with the Gamecocks this season.

“We got there last year (in December) and Khurtiss had gotten in the portal and I had a relationship with him,” Kelly said. “We didn’t promise him anything but an opportunity and he came down there and has done a good job. He just keeps getting better and better.”

Perry has played in all 13 games and has two starts, recording 18 tackles, including four tackles for loss, a pair of sacks and a fumble recovery.

“He always talks about treating every game like a championship game,” Perry said, “and I truly think we treated every game like a championship game. I can tell as a coach he’s going to be one of the best to ever do it because he really cares for his players. He really cares for the game. He doesn’t let you cheat the game. I really love Coach Kelly.”

On Tuesday night, as Jacksonville State takes on Troy in the 12th annual Salute to Veterans Bowl at Cramton Bowl, Perry will be back home, playing in front of family and friends.

“I never in my life thought I would be playing at Jacksonville State University,” he said. “I never thought I would have the opportunity to come back and play in Montgomery, Alabama again, but I’m so truly thankful for it because I know it will be an impactful moment that I will never forget and I know it’s going to be one of my best games.”

As he was asked about his goals for Tuesday’s game, the old Khurtiss Perry returned, the confident Pike Road senior that spent most of the game in opposing backfields.

“Man, I have crazy goals,” he said. “It’s going to speak volumes on Tuesday, but I have big goals for this game. But I definitely want to win for my team.”