High school scouting reports 21-30
by Flynn Hill
21. Andre Debose
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6’0
Weight: 170
School: Seminole (FL)
Committed to: Florida, Florida State, Miami, Louisiana State, Southern Cal
Positives: Debose is an absolute game breaker when it comes to speed. Right now, he’s a one-route specialist when it comes to route running (the go route), but he runs it extremely well. He’s able to get separation from corners by using his blinding speed and excellent acceleration. He’s able to get to top speed remarkably quick. He’s a jack-of-all-trades right now on offense, as he lines up at quarterback, in the slot, and split out wide. At every position he plays, the coaches utilize his speed and vision. With his vision, comes his tremendous cutting ability. He’s absolutely devastating in the open field and almost impossible to bring down one on one. While not as fast, he has Devin Hester-like return ability. He makes one cut and goes north and south. There’s no nonsense going east and west with this kid. He makes up his mind and tries to take every one to the house.
Negatives: While he’s a physically gifted athlete, he’s a ways away from reaching his maximum potential. He’s extremely unpolished as a receiver and needs to work on the many subtle aspects of the position. His route running is average at best. He’s not a very good blocker and probably only going to be used on second and third downs. He needs to put on a little bit of muscle because he’s rail thin right now. His hands are good, not great. Supposed 740 on the SATs is a cause for concern.
Overall: He’s such an exciting and explosive playmaker that he’s an extremely difficult matchup for any corner. He can be used in so many ways and even lined up at quarterback to keep defenses on their toes. While some say he’s best suited for corner, he’s not physical enough to suit up on the defensive side of the ball. However, his athleticism will allow him to make an impact immediately as a kick returner no matter where he goes.
Best Case Scenario: WR Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers
Worst Case Scenario: WR Troy Williamson, Jacksonville, Jaguars
Junior year statistics: 712 rushing yards, 270 receiving yards, 13 touchdowns
22. Garrett Gilbert
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6’3
Weight: 185
School: Lake Travis (TX)
Committed to: Texas
Positives: He’s an extremely accurate quarterback who is mechanically and fundamentally sound. He’s a throw-first quarterback who can take off and hurt a defense when the opportunity presents itself. In the pocket, he shows great awareness of when defenders are rushing and does a good job of stepping up. He’s not afraid to stand in the pocket until the last second and deliver an accurate strike. His release is very quick, easily one of the two or three best in the class. Gilbert shows more than adequate enough arm strength to play at the next level. He’s able to fit the ball into the tight areas, especially in the seam. His intangibles are off the charts. He’s a proven winner, as he led his team to the Class 4A Division II State Championship. He’s a very intelligent quarterback who has that “it” factor.
Negatives: He really needs to hit the weight room. He needs to mature physically because he won’t be on the field too much if he tries to stand in the pocket as he does right now. While he is very accurate, he does have a tendency to hang his receivers out to dry. His footwork is questionable and will need to work on it to reach his full potential.
Overall: Gilbert is a tremendous quarterback prospect who is mentally ready for the next level. Physically, he’s still got a ways to go, but after he hits the weight room, he will really make an impact. He will probably redshirt and sit another year, but when he gets on the field, he may become one of the better Longhorn passers in recent memory.
Best Case Scenario: QB Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints (Slightly better arm)
Worst Case Scenario: QB John David Booty, Minnesota Vikings
Junior year statistics: 359 completions for 555 attempts (64%), 4,826 passing yards, 52 touchdowns
23. Rueben Randle
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6’3
Weight: 195
School: Bastrop (LA)
Considering: Alabama, Florida State, Louisiana State, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Southern Cal
Positives: Randle is an excellent deep threat. He shows blazing speed on the go route and usually has a few steps on corners. His hands are very good and he has excellent body control. He looks like he’s auditioning for the NFL already as he tries to drag a second foot on catches down the sidelines. He displays the ability to jump up in the back of the end zone and still come down with possession in bounds. He won’t get beat for a jump ball by many corners as he is an explosive leaper. Randle shows good concentration and hands in traffic. He makes the tough catches over the middle, even when the footsteps are very loud. He’s got nice vision in the open field and has some natural wiggle. He’s got decent strength and shows he can throw a nice stiff arm. He’s very good after the catch on the bubble screen. He doesn’t dance around and simply goes north to pick up positive yardage. He doubles at quarterback and a good offensive coordinator will take advantage of his rocket arm. He’s an unselfish player who is moving back to quarterback this year to help his team out.
Negatives: His route running is very raw and needs help. He lazily sells the stop and go, but can get away with it because of his outstanding speed. Even on the bubble screen, he doesn’t set it up very well. He’s not extremely quick. He usually will make one cut and then accelerate past the defender. He’s not going to shake a defender like Wes Welker. His unselfishness is a good sign, but will not playing receiver hinder his development?
Overall: He’s a big athletic receiver who has future No. 1 receiver written all over him. He is extremely gifted, but needs a good deal of coaching to truly maximize his potential. Wherever he chooses to go, he will likely find himself making an impact within the first two years.
Best Case Scenario: WR Braylon Edwards, Cleveland Browns
Worst Case Scenario: WR Ashley Lelie, San Francisco 49ers
Junior year statistics: 55 receptions, 1,058 receiving yards, 11 touchdowns, 3 return touchdowns
24. Janzen Jackson
Position: Cornerback
Height: 6’0
Weight: 185
School: Barbe (LA)
Committed to: Louisiana State
Positives: Jackson is a physical cornerback prospect who has the versatility to play safety if need be. He has good height and a nice frame to put on a bit more strength. He’s the most physical corner in the class. He loves contact and is one of the hardest hitting corners in recent memory. He’s excellent in run support and is an outstanding tackler, as he shows textbook form. He doesn’t try to chop out the legs, as you see many corners doing. He wraps up and drives the ball carrier to the ground. In coverage he shows that he has great speed and ball skills. He shows that he can run stride-for-stride with receivers down the sideline on the go route. He uses his body well when locked in man coverage, and really understands the subtle contact he’s allowed to get away with. He doesn’t get lost in zone coverage like some corners. The most telling sign of his athleticism is on special teams. He blocked seven kicks during his junior year. His acceleration and quickness are off the charts. His burst is as good as any other corner’s in the class.
Negatives: His press coverage technique needs a bit of work. He does get beat by quicker receivers on slants and double moves. He may outgrow the position and move to safety. His backpedal is just good. He may have to watch his physicality as he may be prone to pass interference penalties.
Overall: Jackson is one of the more impressive corners on film in this year’s class. You simply won’t find many corners that are as physically impressive as Jackson. He needs some refinement with his technique, but should become a star at LSU.
Best Case Scenario: CB Marcus Trufant, Seattle Seahawks
Worst Case Scenario: CB Carlos Rogers, Washington Redskins
Junior year statistics: 92 tackles, 5 interceptions, 12 pass break-ups, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 7 blocked kicks
25. Xavier Nixon
Position: Offensive Tackle
Height: 6’7
Weight: 275
School: Jack Britt (NC)
Considering: Clemson, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Tennessee
Positives: Nixon is a big, athletic offensive tackle prospect. He’s one of the most versatile in the class because he has prototypical left tackle height and frame, but currently shows he is a dominant run blocker playing on the right side. He can easily get in the 315-pound range with his tremendous frame. He is really lean and appears to have good weight on right now. His wingspan is one of the best in the class and he uses his long arms really well to keep defenders at bay. He shows great mobility and gets to the second and third level with relative ease. When Nixon pulls, he’s devastating and destroys anything in his way. Despite his height, he’s got great natural knee bend and is able to get lower than most of his opponents, even when he pulls. He’s very good in space on screens and blocking on the perimeter.
Negatives: He doesn’t look to be the strongest of tackles right now. He’s physically got a ways to go. The pancake blocks he makes are mainly when he pulls and when he comes to finish off a double team. Sometimes he looks like he’s just trying to make the highlight reel block rather than the correct one. He’s got good, not great feet, and loses his balance more than he should. His pass blocking is unproven right now, as he plays in a spread option offense.
Overall: Nixon has all the physical tools to develop into a top right or left tackle. He’s one of the most athletically gifted in the country, but needs a little bit of time in the weight room to fully reach his potential. He’s probably best off redshirting and with time he can become a great bookend.
Best Case Scenario: OT Walter Jones, Seattle Seahawks
Worst Case Scenario: OT George Foster, Detroit Lions
26. Logan Thomas
Position: Tight End/Outside Linebacker
Height: 6’6
Weight: 220
School: Brookville School (VA)
Considering: Clemson, North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, West Virginia
Positives: Thomas is a lanky, athletic tight end, but he can definitely play on the other side of the ball if need be. He’s part of the new breed of tight ends that possesses the receiving skills to be flexed out and play in the slot or at flanker. He’s got an outstanding frame to put on plenty of weight. He can easily get up to 240 or 250 pounds without losing his athleticism. His tremendous reach allows him to pick the ball out of the air with ease. Most of his offensive film is of him at quarterback. When he takes off and runs, he displays deceptive speed. His stride is reminiscent of Vince Young, as it is extremely long. He doesn’t immediately look to be a burner, yet he manages to beat defenders in a foot race. When he gets into the open field, he shows good vision and the ability to break a few tackles. When he gets momentum, he’s very difficult to bring down. On defense, he plays a hybrid safety/linebacker role. He shows good instincts, especially against the pass. He’s a physical player who looks for the big time hit on the pass breakup rather than the interception. He’s excellent on the blitz and uses his body well to disengage from blocks.
Negatives: On offense, he’s a projected tight end. He’s pretty much unproven in terms of his blocking and route running ability. He’s so good at everything he may not be great at any one thing. He’s going to need to add a ton of strength in order to become an adequate blocker. He’s not a quick player and sometimes doesn’t appear to be the most fluid of athletes.
Overall: His versatility is unmatched in this year’s class, as he can play so many positions at the next level. He’s best suited for tight end because his lack of tremendous quickness will not be a huge problem. Overall, his combination of size and athleticism make him an extremely dangerous projection at the next level.
Best Case Scenario: TE Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs
Worst Case Scenario: TE Teyo Johnson, Buffalo Bills
Junior year statistics: 819 rushing yards, 8 touchdowns, 112 tackles, 3 interceptions
27. D.J. Fluker
Position: Defensive Tackle
Height: 6’7
Weight: 325
School: Foley (AL)
Committed to: Alabama
Positives: Size can’t be taught, simple as that. Fluker is an absolutely mammoth man of a high school football player. He’s an ideal 3-4 nose tackle who will free up any inside linebackers because he requires a double team. He’s creates a stalemate, to say the least. Not many people would expect to see such a burst out of Fluker, but he has a rather impressive jump out of his stance. Passing over the middle is hard because when he gets his hands up, it’s rather easy for him to deflect passes. His pass rush is more or less a pass run over the guy who’s trying to block him. Simply put, a one-on-one block won’t work with Fluker. He shows good instincts and the ability to disengage from blockers when the ball is run near him.
Negatives: He can get a bit high sometimes and doesn’t always have the best leverage. His technique isn’t very good. Running over linemen won’t work all the time, especially at the next level, and he needs to try and use more of a bull rush. His quickness, while surprising for someone his size, isn’t very good. He’s probably going to have to make sure he doesn’t gain too much weight, as his athleticism may suffer because of it.
Overall: Fluker is one of the few players physically ready to make an impact on the defensive line the day he steps foot on a college campus. There aren’t many people in the world as big as Fluker and you can count the number on one hand that are his size and can move as well as he does. Whether it’s in a 3-4 or a 4-3, Fluker is a load and impossible not to notice.
Best Case Scenario: NT Ted Washington while on the New England Patriots
Worst Case Scenario: NT Sione Pouha, New York Jets
Junior year statistics: 78 tackles, 7 sacks
28. Craig Drummond
Position: Defensive End
Height: 6’5
Weight: 260
School: Morgan Park (IL)
Committed to: Florida, Illinois, Louisiana State, Miami, Ohio State, Southern Cal
Positives: Drummond is an absolute terror coming off the edge. He more than passes the eyeball test, as he is one of the more physically ready defensive linemen to play college football. He’s got great height and wingspan. He’s very disciplined and because of his arms and doesn’t have to leave the ground to deflect passes, which always puts him in good position. He has a great burst and closes really well. He’s got very good straight-line speed and really uses it when he is moved to his rush linebacker role. He utilizes a bull rush as his primary pass-rush technique and shows great strength. He’s not limited to just blitzing, as he plays the run equally well. Drummond takes great angles to the ball and knows his physical limitations. He keeps his shoulders square to the line when in pursuit on tosses and stretches. He does a great job of hand fighting and shedding blockers.
Negatives: He’s much faster than he is quick. He’s doesn’t have the quick-twitch athleticism that Devon Kennard or other pass rushing specialists have. He needs to develop some of his pass rushing techniques to more than just a bull rush or a speed rush. He’s not a fundamentally sound prospect in terms of tackling. He arm tackles too often.
Overall: Drummond is a well-rounded prospect who is the best strong-side end prospect in this year’s class. He’s just as good of a run stopper as he is of a pass rusher. Drummond is a very intriguing prospect because he is physically ready for the next level.
Best Case Scenario: DE Mario Williams, Houston Texans
Worst Case Scenario: DE Kenechi Udeze, Minnesota Vikings
Junior year statistics: 67 tackles, 18 sacks
29. Damario Jeffery
Position: Strong safety
Height: 6’3
Weight: 215
School: Columbia (SC)
Considering: Alabama, Clemson, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee
Positives: Jeffery is a very big and athletic strong safety. He’s got the frame to put on the size to play linebacker at the next level, but his coverage ability makes him a much better safety prospect. He makes great breaks in coverage and does a great job of separating the receiver from the ball when a catch appears imminent. He’s got excellent reach and long legs, which allow him to cover ground quickly. He’s a big hitter and excellent tackler. When Jeffery hit’s you, it’s the last yardage the ball carrier will get. On offense, he plays wide receiver and shows that he has excellent hands and ball skills. Along with his already mentioned long arms, he’s got an excellent vertical, meaning he’ll definitely be an asset on bigger receivers with a jump ball.
Negatives: Due to his long strides, his quickness is just average. Even he admits smaller receivers give him difficulty, especially on double moves and in space. His coverage skills are shown mainly in the hook-curl zone and the flats, as his team plays a 4-4 and he is rolled up as another linebacker. While his skill set translates to him being able to cover over the top, it can be a difficult transition for some. He arm tackles a tad too much and needs to impose his size on ball carriers
Overall: Jeffery will be a very scary player when he fills out his excellent frame. He’s part of the new breed of strong safeties who possess linebacker size with defensive back coverage skills. He’s a versatile player who can definitely play receiver, linebacker or safety at the next level.
Best Case Scenario: S Kerry Rhodes, New York Jets (Bigger version)
Worst Case Scenario: S Pat Watkins, Dallas Cowboys
Junior year statistics: 109 tackles, 5 interceptions (2 returns for touchdown)
30. Eddie Lacy
Position: Running back
Height: 5’11
Weight: 200
School: Dutchtown (LA)
Considering: Arkansas, LSU, Miami, Ole Miss, Oklahoma
Positives: Lacy is a hard-nosed running back who really gets the tough yards on the ground. He puts his head down and charges over linebackers and safeties when he runs between the tackles. When he gets a handoff to go up the gut, he sticks with the plan and doesn’t dance around. He prefers to run over linebackers and defensive backs, but he does have fluid hips and can juke out defenders when he gets to linebackers and defensive backs. When he gets to the second and third levels, he has a very good burst and gets beyond linemen He’s extremely difficult to bring down and has tremendous balance. He never stops his legs moving and is an excellent downhill runner. He’s very well put together, has an excellent frame and can add a bit of weight to get up to about 220 pounds.
Negatives: His hands and blocking are unproven. He doesn’t keep the ball close to him when he runs, especially when he tries to juke defenders. He will have fumbling problems if he continues running in this manner. His burst is very good, not great. He probably won’t outrun every defensive back. His 4.4 second 40-yard dash time is a bit questionable.
Overall: Lacy is a no-nonsense back who just gets the job done. He’s not going to make some of the highlight runs you’ll see from backs like David Oku or Bryce Brown, but he’s going to get that third and one to seal the game. Lacy can take the ball for 25 or so carries and still be as fresh as the first handoff he took.
Best Case Scenario: RB Marion Barber, Dallas Cowboys
Worst Case Scenario: RB Reuben Droughns, New York Giants
Junior year statistics: 1800 rushing yards, 26 touchdowns
30. Eddie Lacy
Position: Running back
Height: 5’11
Weight: 200
School: Dutchtown (LA)
Considering: Arkansas, LSU, Miami, Ole Miss, Oklahoma
Positives: Lacy is a hard-nosed running back who really gets the tough yards on the ground. He puts his head down and charges over linebackers and safeties when he runs between the tackles. When he gets a handoff to go up the gut, he sticks with the plan and doesn’t dance around. He prefers to run over linebackers and defensive backs, but he does have fluid hips and can juke out defenders when he gets to linebackers and defensive backs. When he gets to the second and third levels, he has a very good burst and gets beyond linemen He’s extremely difficult to bring down and has tremendous balance. He never stops his legs moving and is an excellent downhill runner. He’s very well put together, has an excellent frame and can add a bit of weight to get up to about 220 pounds.
Negatives: His hands and blocking are unproven. He doesn’t keep the ball close to him when he runs, especially when he tries to juke defenders. He will have fumbling problems if he continues running in this manner. His burst is very good, not great. He probably won’t outrun every defensive back. His 4.4 second 40-yard dash time is a bit questionable.
Overall: Lacy is a no-nonsense back who just gets the job done. He’s not going to make some of the highlight runs you’ll see from backs like David Oku or Bryce Brown, but he’s going to get that third and one to seal the game. Lacy can take the ball for 25 or so carries and still be as fresh as the first handoff he took.
Best Case Scenario: RB Marion Barber, Dallas Cowboys
Worst Case Scenario: RB Reuben Droughns, New York Giants
Junior year statistics: 1800 rushing yards, 26 touchdowns