Weekly Wardaddies: Detavius Frierson

I've already acquainted those of you who read my article on Wayzata's <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: #ff0000;">Loshiaka Rocques</span></span> with my admiration for Gopher Boye Mafe. His size and burst as a prep were clearly indicative of the pass rusher he's becoming and Detavius Frierson of Park Center shows similar traits. Evaluating edge rushers is relatively straightforward because the important factors are fairly obvious. If he's tall, fast, and even sorta tough then he's probably worth looking into. Frierson shows all of those traits in a limited sample set. Thankfully, Frierson also plays basketball and while he doesn't show Tyler Johnson's vertical ability he does show some impressive explosiveness which transfers to the gridiron. This combined with his length and effort in pursuit make him pop off the screen. Now, to be clear I tend to go off of film only when doing these write ups. I don't do much research with the actual players so there are definite holes in my analysis. That being said I'm not sure why Frierson only played two games in 2018. It could've just been injuries but based on his Hudl he seems to really enjoy/see a future in basketball. I'd argue he has a bigger one in football if those two games were enough to get an offer from UNI and Mankato State. Ideally, he just loves to hoop and wants to develop himself athletically. Should he choose football, Frierson has the physical traits to play at the Power 5 level. Read on to see why I think even six games his senior season could garner him an offer from the Gophers. <h2>Detavius Frierson - LB - Park Center</h2> <h3>Size/Body Type</h3> Looks every bit of 6'4"-6'5" at maybe a few pounds over 200. Long limbs with a lean tapered profile. Physically mature for a basketball player, fairly lean for a football player, but not scrawny. Looks Mafe-esque at times with his somewhat gangly physique. <h3>Athleticism</h3> Glaring. The rising senior is described by Fresh Coast Hoops as a "bouncy wing". A skill set like that is evidently quite transferrable to the outside linebacker position. Explosive moving forward and just enough flexibility to use his feet and length laterally. Solid feet to stop and change directions. Able to contort his upper body independent of his lower. Pretty mature build overall which means increased muscle will only help his game. <h3>Pass Rush</h3> Some excellent juice off the edge. Good first step and gains increasing ground with each stride. Good balance and athleticism to twist his upper body while keeping his feet pointed towards the QB. Wins with speed and agility. Length to stun o-lineman goes a tad unused. Raw and traits based projection at the moment. Here he makes it look easy off the offense's right side and elevates to tip the pass. <h3>Run Game</h3> Game reaches another level when he can see what's going on. Simply too quick and long to stay blocked. Good ability to bend at the knees and waist while moving laterally. Sheds and jumps out to track ball carriers with a good burst. Has enough explosiveness that he could be a rush end with added strength and mass. <h3>Hand Technique</h3> Shows some swim and swipe moves that help him out. Much of his game is based on quickness so if he can set it up he can execute most simple swipe or rip moves. Hand-eye coordination from basketball should portend increased ability to learn advanced hand fighting techniques. <h3>Coverage</h3> Almost non-existent from his Hudl tape. Has some obvious hip stiffness that would indicate he may be better as a full time edge player. However, his feet are good enough that he's not a complete liability in space. Length is an asset here as well. <h3>Power</h3> Not a huge part of his game at the moment. Definitely brings the hammer down on opposing ball carriers on kickoffs. Not enough pass rushing opportunities to show this part of his game. Looks like a finesse rusher at the moment. His effort and athletic ability tell me he can be taught how to bull rush with the best of them. More functionally strong than truly powerful at the moment. <h3>Effort</h3> Take a look at Frierson sprinting down the 50 yard line from his spy role off of the offense's right side. <h2>Summary</h2> <h4></h4> Detavius Frierson is one of those players that you love as an evaluator. A few months back I had watched film on Yahya Black and concluded he could be a P5 edge player. Now, sources indicate that he's had some Power 5 offers since at least April. I felt the same way about Loshiaka Rocques and I feel similarly about Frierson. His length and athletic ability are rare for the position. His talent as a hooper really does translate and makes him a priority pick in the midwest. Even with a UNI offer I'll say that two games Junior year is really not enough to gain any interest. That being said, I wouldn't be surprised if he is already in contact with the Gophers and is waiting on either camp season or a few games into his Senior season for an offer decision to be made. They don't typically make defensive ends with the strength and quicks to dominate as a D2 wing. Frierson's physical gifts will make a him a P5 edge defender if he wants to pursue it. Hoping Fleck gets the first crack at an offer, I expect Frierson to make some believers 2019. Images courtesy of Hudl.com, Fresh Coast Hoops and <a href="https://www.prephoops.com/2019/01/recruiting-report-detavius-frierson-2020/"><span style="color: #ff0000;">Northstar Prep Hoops</span></a>