Big Cat weeknd visitors ESPN evaluations - 1st half

[AUSportTalk 4]

RYAN AYERS

Ayers is an impressive defensive back; he shows the acceleration and speed of a corner and the range, ball-hawking skills and physicality sought-after in a free safety. Has just adequate size but he plays much bigger and his leaner, rangier frame should continue to physically develop well. Very versatile impressive athlete and depending on scheme could pretty much play corner or safety at the next level. Better breaking and playing the ball in front of him. Anticipates the pass and diagnoses the run very quickly. Transitions fast and smoothly out of his pedal breaking on the football with little wasted motion. Flashes excellent ball skills and adjusts his body well to the pass. Takes sharp, directed angles to the football on both run and pass support. Leaves minimal cutback creases when running the alley. Has great "play speed" and recovery quickness. Closes with great burst and generates striking velocity allowing him to separate the ball from the receiver. A collision tackler who can force turnovers but does need to do a better job wrapping up and breaking down, particularly in space. Very physical but needs to build up his frame with bulk to remain a strong run supporter in the box and able to press bigger college receivers. Has fluid hips but can loses some in transition opening and turning with his high-cut frame; projects better breaking on the ball in underneath zone or off-man schemes than locked up as a cover corner. Potentially a great hard, cover 2 corner and a guy who will offer his future defensive coordinator great scheme versatility. Footwork and overall corner technique need some refinement. That said, Ayers brings a lot of intangibles to the table both physically and mentally. We love his aggressive style of play, instincts and big play potential when projecting for the next level. Has the speed just needs some polish in coverage and added bulk to become a great college defensive back.

DEMARCO COBBS

Cobbs is essentially a wide receiver playing quarterback in the spread offense and he is extremely dangerous with his legs. He is thickly built and physically imposing as he is wrapped like a stout running back. He is reminiscent of 2009 ATH Stephon Gilmore only Cobbs may be a little more sudden. Cobbs can scoot and he is explosive and sudden in his movements given his size. He shows tremendous feet and the ability to jump cut, plant and stab laterally and create big plays with his legs. He throws the ball just well enough for him to be dangerous as a dual-threat, but it's his open field run skills that jump out on tape. He shows good speed, quickness, change-of-direction and especially vision when on the run and he is capable of making multiple defenders miss in space. He runs well enough to threaten you deep and when he gets into the open field he is capable of winning footraces against top end defenders. However, he also shows some power and is difficult to bring down as a runner. With limited time out wide he shows very good ball skills and is a natural athlete. If he were to be moved to safety or wide receiver, the learning curve would not be very steep. The little nuances of the WR position would have to be developed, but his talent level would do the rest along with his football instincts. Cobbs has the ability level to be a potential difference maker at more than one position and he is extremely dangerous with the ball in his hands. Will be one of the most coveted skill prospects in this class.

SHUN COLEMAN

Coleman is a tall and impressive offensive lineman that has a huge upside for the next level of competition. He is strong in the upper body and drives his legs but not a great knee bender and as a result doesn't generate a lot of core power. Long arms are a huge asset especially in pass protection where he can lock out a pass rusher to keep the defender off his pads. Needs to set back and anchor down, however, in pass protection. Often is off balance and can't really deliver a jarring blow to the rusher and stop his charge because he is kind of drifting around instead of being bent and stout. Uses hands well but can be more violent with them and lock them into the defenders frame. Impressive in terms of mobility as a run blocker; slips to the second level fluidly but needs to be more consistent at getting as hot on the linebacker. Athletic when pulling and trapping and takes a good course when kicking out or turning upfield. Gives good effort form the backside in order to get an extra downfield block. A solid down blocker that washes the defensive lineman to the inside; would like to see him not be on the ground as much. Coleman is a good athlete that gives great effort but sometimes has trouble finishing and sustaining blocks due to stiffness in the knees and playing too high. Once he gets more flexible he will improve his fundamentals and be a complete offensive lineman.

J.C. COPELAND

Copeland is a high motor and physical defender. He has good bulk, but less then ideal height. He does though on film look to have a longer then average reach for his build which could help sooth some concerns over his size. One thing you don't worry about is his ability to be active. He displays good quickness off the ball. Displays the ability to pretty consistently come off the ball low and is physical at the point of attack. Flashes the ability to use his hands and take on and shed from blocks. Needs to be more consistent with bringing his hands though. He is a physical kid, but if he lets blockers get into his frame he can be pushed off the ball some. He gives good effort in backside pursuit. Displays solid speed and when he can quickly get re-directed he can run some plays down from behind. He can be a little wild at times and loose the ball or over-run the play, but for the most part is a sound wrap-up tackler. He seems to enjoy contact and will go out of his way to find it at times. Takes pretty solid angles in pursuit and really seems to play to the whistle. As a pass rusher he is not a kid that will just run by blockers, but you see an effort to use his hands and try attack the blocker and be violent with his weapons to work by. Copeland displays that attitude and hustle you like to have in a defensive player. You wish he was a little taller, but he displays the tools to be a productive defender at the college level.

TYRONE CORNELIUS

Cornelius embodies the word upside. This guy has a ton of natural talent at the linebacker position and just needs a bit of size and polish. Plays the game fast and physical. Has a longer, taller frame; high-cut and lean with a lot of room for continued physical upside. Will surprise you with the great force and short-area power he demonstrates filling and taking on blocks. An explosive, fast-twitched athlete who plays a lot bigger/stronger than his listed measurable may suggest. Strikes blockers back at the point of attack and does more than just hold his base taking on the cutoff block; can be very disruptive near the line of scrimmage. Quick first-step allows him to beat blockers to the point of attack as well. Can take false steps and lose leverage on the football but for the most part he does not show a lot of wasted motion on his pursuit and takes direct angles. Runs well; shows good off-tackle pursuit speed and will chase and make plays sideline-to-sideline with his long stride and good range. Flashes good coverage skills opening and turning deceptively smooth without much wasted motion. Gets good depth, reads the quarterback and closes fast blanketing his underneath zone. Should be able to match up with backs and tight ends in man schemes. However, at times his does struggle to mirror and break down sharply. Tends to overrun the cutback and often struggles to wrap up soundly as a tackler. High-cut frame hinders some redirection skill and lateral agility at times. Better attacking vertically than laterally. One of our main concerns is his difficulty slipping the cutoff block and opening his whole body up to blockers in the second level. Shows raw power to beat blockers at the high school level but may struggle to disengage with just strength and marginal hand/shedding technique in college. Better attacking vertically than laterally. Overall, Cornelius still brings a lot of impressive physical tools to the table for a program to mold and develop at the next level. Needs some polish and size (which will come) but is an explosive defender who can run and hit as well as some of the better prospects in this class.

JESSEL CURRY

Curry is a stout and strong fullback. He has good size and the frame to even get bigger. A very tough and hard-nosed runner on the fullback dive and zone play. Makes quick cuts at the line of scrimmage but is a straight line guy once into the second level and openfield. Possesses powerful legs and can carry defenders for extra yardage. Very reliable short yardage fullback that doesn't have breakaway speed but is very steady. Catches the football well out of the backfield when running the flat route and can get turned north and south for positive yards after the catch. A solid lead blocker on the off tackle, iso and draw play. Lowers the shoulders and drives the legs as a lead blocker while working for position after the initial blow delivery. Curry is a very sound and solid one dimensional football player.

KHAIRI FORTT

Fortt is a strong, physically stout linebacker prospect and maybe one of the better projected strong side 'backers in this class. Has all the physical attributes you look for in the position. Tall, thickly-built with explosive power and functional strength. High-cut frame but still plays with good bend in his knees, flexibility and leverage. We would like to see him make quicker reads on the football between the tackles, but he still shows the good downhill burst to beat blockers to the point of attack and blow up the inside run. Can mirror with good short-area change-of-direction skill between the tackles. One of the better linebackers we have seen in this class at stalemating the cutoff block when reached at the second level and shedding demonstrating his impressive hand strength. Does tend to open up his whole body and will need to work slipping the blocks of bigger linemen at the next level. Flashes good lateral agility and hips pursuing outside of the tackles with direct angles to the ball. Long strider who covers a lot of ground quickly sideline-to-sideline. Closes on the ball carrier with good burst and velocity in space. Very strong, explosive tackler. However, he does flash some stiffness opening to turn and run on pursuit and in coverage. May struggle if matched up in space. Has some original wasted motion and we have concerns about his ability to consistently make plays inside-out on faster ball carriers at the next level. Not real reactive or fast-twitched. While he certainly shows good range and lateral agility for his size, physical tools and skill-set may be better suited in the short-range as a strong or inside 'backer. We question his competition at times but he physically dominates which is what you want to see happen.

JAKE HOLLAND

It's difficult to find many fundamental flaws in Holland's game at linebacker. He is smart, tough, instinctive with the versatility to play inside or outside at the next level in our eyes. Has good size with his bulk and compact, durable frame. Lacks great length for a true outside position but has a good frame for a stacked strongside 'backer. Between the tackles he is very reactive and finds the the football quickly. Mirrors the ball carrier well with good short-area redirection skill and lateral agility. Stays square to line of scrimmage helping him limit cutback creases and avoid being turned out of the hole. Shows good downhill quickness and burst filling his middle and backside run gaps; often beats blockers to the point of attack and makes plays on the ball inside-out. Stalemates the cutoff block in the hole with good strength and leverage. A guy who can hold his base. Displays good hand technique and strength shedding and keeping blockers off his body when scrapping. Pulverizing tackler who drives through the ball carrier from his hips but does not always get his head around. Flashes good chase speed and closing acceleration when supporting the outside run. Plays with a high motor and pursues well sideline-to-sideline. What really stands out his hip-fluidity and athleticism in coverage for a thicker linebacker. Doesn't lose a lot in transition opening and turning. Ball and awareness skills are very good. However, he does show some stiffness at times breaking down in space and is a guy with good football speed but is not overly fast; which could get exploited at the next level. Lacks sharp change-of-direction skill. When projecting inside, he does need to add some size and improve his short-area power at the point of attack to remain productive and durable. Moves well laterally but we have not seen great fluidity slipping or sidestepping the trash which he will need to do until he gains the required bulk. Overall, we still feel Holland projects to be a very solid and productive linebacker at the next level in a blue-collar type style. Potentially the leader of his defensive unit and a guy with invaluable intangibles.

SHAUN KITCHENS

Kitchens is a wonderful overall athlete with a supreme blend of size, speed and athleticism. We feel he projects as a safety/OLB hybrid initially with a fulltime move to the front seven in time. He could also play as a physically imposing wide receiver prospect on offense and has excellent overall ball skills and offensive awareness downfield. Is a RB/WR hybrid offensively. It's this same awareness that makes him a presence on defense. Displays the ability to generate power quickly and close on ball carriers with good explosiveness. Possesses a good short-area burst and straight-line closing speed on the perimeter. Shows good experience attacking near the line of scrimmage and can effectively string plays out to the sideline with his long wingspan and adequate upper-body strength. He is an explosive blitzer both off the edge and up the middle. Shows very good feet, can play off blocks and shows very good closing burst and a violent attitude upon contact. Moves well through the lateral trash avoiding blockers in space with his quick feet and ability to burst under cutoff blocks. Coverage skill and range are very impressive. Shows the range and lateral mobility at safety to get through the trash, find sharp pursuit angles, and chase to the sideline. Is at his best coming forward on the football. At OLB, he can turn, get depth quickly, level off and attack underneath routes. However, for Kitchens' leverage can be an issue when filling at the point of attack. Needs to win the pad level battle to mask his lack of power when taking on blockers and tackling bigger ball carriers. He cannot afford to play high, especially in the secondary. Must stay low when in the box shedding blockers. He must become more than just a blitzer that is disruptive. Overall, it is Kitchens' measurables that have garnered early attention as well as his ability to run. He does have skills to remain on offense, but he has a brighter future on the other side. He has ball skills and is a playmaker, but may not have the top end speed for an elite wide out at the next level.

MARCUS LATTIMORE

Lattimore has the physical tools and skill set to develop into one of this class' more well-rounded college backs. Very productive and consistent. Has prototypical size with his good height and thickly-built frame. His blend of size, speed and deceptive lateral quickness is excellent. Patient runner who excels in zone schemes. Picks and darts his way through the initial traffic showing good stop-start, sharp cutting and change-of- direction skill for a runner with his bulk and thick lower-body. Can be difficult to arm tackle when he squares up and bursts downhill out of his cuts. Shows flashes of being a strong, downhill runner but we do see some inconsistency with his yards after contact. Struggles at times breaking initial tackles and maintaining his balance, particularly on lower-body shots. Legs go dead on contact too often and we would like to see him power through more tackles for his size and deliver the blow. Can make the first defender miss but is not real elusive in space and often gives defenders a clean shot in the second level. Not a burner but he does show good acceleration and top-end speed when he breaks free in the secondary for his size. Great hands and polished/natural receiving skills make him more coveted as a running back prospect. Bottom line, Lattimore is potentially the complete package at the next level and an every down, durable back who could carry the load. Impact and productivity as college runner could be predicated on his ability to his improve in-line power; still looks to have a ton of physical development left.

ERIC MACK

Mack is a truck and believe me he hauls a full load. He is a big and powerful wide body that possesses exceptional strength and power in his upper body along with his hips. Bulldozes defenders off the line of scrimmage at times but tends to like to turn the defender other plays. Has a jolting first punch that often knocks the defensive man to the turf. Plays with good pad level despite size. When his legs and upper body work together he can destroy a defender and drive him into the lap of the linebacker. Even though foot agility can be improved, displays athleticism when pulling, trapping, and leading upfield. Shows some quickness and ability to adjust in the openfield. Very solid pass protector that stops the initial charge of the rusher with a jarring first punch and rarely gets over-extended. Shuffles feet well and maintains relationship with pass rusher and seems to be able to protect the inside slant move or the speed rush off he edge. Mack can develop into a fine offensive lineman at the next level once he improves overall quickness and flexibility. It would be tough to find anyone with as much strength and power as this guy. Plays with good effort and works to be sound at all phases of offensive line play. He also demonstrates very solid skills and fundamentals for such a raw talent. He has the chance to be a big time player.