How I Scout You the Prospect, What Makes You Stand Out? Offense
I wanted to provide some insight as to how I scout prospects, both at the office when watching tape, as well as in person or a camp setting. What am I exactly looking for when I’m evaluating you? It needs to be said for those who don’t understand. Scouting collegiate athletes and projecting them to the NFL is a vastly different ball game compared to projecting high school prospects to next-level football. Some say it’s “easier”, this isn’t always the case, the responsibilities and money surrounding them are what change as you progress in your career. That being said, there are certain traits I deliberately look for when scouting each position. We will dive into each in this piece, and how this could shape the future of how you build your Hudl tapes. Luckily, I have a keen idea of what colleges are looking for at every level. I hear it straight from the horse’s mouth, I hope to relay some info back to you, the prospect.
Many of the obvious traits are left out of this piece, examples being accuracy for QBs or strength for linemen. This is meant to take a deeper look into how I evaluate you outside of some of the obvious.
Quarterback
Size Threshold
This isn’t the end-all-be-all but trust that you almost always have to meet a coach’s threshold or criteria from a measurable perspective. There are always outliers of course. The Stetson Bennett’s and Kyler Murray’s of the world exist, yes. The fact that they are so successful should give you an idea of how special they are despite their deficiencies in size/frame. More times than not, the taller, bigger kids are better equipped to handle next-level ball. It’s a sad truth.
Complete Mastery of an Offense
If I come across a quarterback that knows his playbook top to bottom, what his progressions are for each set, I’d like to think he could have the potential to lead a college offense. Not every collegiate system is going to spread the ball around, yet you better believe that you’ll need to know your key defenders on every passing play. Sometimes this is the case for both sides of the field. A high school quarterback that is cerebral in his approach is one I’d like to recruit. Can you command a huddle? Do you know where your hot read/routes are for each set? Can you scan the entirety of the field? Can you help with linemen assignments? Complete mastery of an offense is crucial when I evaluate, yet this trait is sometimes difficult to come about if I cannot speak to a coach or attend practices, etc.
Decisiveness, Execution
Time and time again, I press quarterbacks who are making their final tapes to include the “easy” throws. Why? What do I mean by this? I watch 50 QB tapes within one class. More often than not, the first pass I see on quarterback tapes are improvisational plays that have passers dance in the backfield, find open space, heave a 50-yard bomb through the air for a jump ball touchdown. Do not get me wrong, almost always, these are plays worthy of being on your tape, they are wow/splash plays that should be on display. This being said, I can attest that many coaches are looking for the little things, the “easy” throws. If I’m evaluating a quarterback, I want to know he can execute passing plays with decisiveness, timing, and rhythm. Yes, that means those plays you take for granted. When I see you catch the snap, key your flat defender, and throw a slant or flat route in rhythm and on time, the way the play is supposed to be run, I get excited. When I see a quarterback key a corner in smash concepts and hit the correct read on time and with decisiveness, I begin to think the prospect can play at the next level. Why do I value the simple over the spectacular? At the next level, whatever level that may be, defenses will be stronger and faster to the football. There is hardly room for improvisational skills to carry you throughout your career. You’re going to need to trust the offense and its design to lead you to wins. Doing things your way is out of the question. If you want to play football at the next level, you need to be able to execute sets the way your passing coordinator wants them to be executed, and promptly.
Runningback
Willingness to Block and/or Catch the football
The better you are at blocking in pass protection or catching the ball out of the backfield, the higher your stock will be amongst coaches. This being said, I’ve seen plenty of backs grow as blockers, it’s teachable at the next level. The same goes for pass-catching. Some kids don’t get the opportunity to show their prowess in these fields in HS, all of a sudden you have a back who can catch 3-5 balls a game out of the backfield when they were previously thought to not be a factor in this area. So a willingness to block and act as a pass-catcher will go a long way.
All-around toughness
This pretty much goes for every position, none more than running back. You are going to take a beating, weight room and health regiments won’t be optional any longer. If you pass-protecting, you’re going to get lit up. If you’re running between the tackles, you’re going to feel it. I need to know I have someone who is prepared for this, especially every down.
Creative Vision
What does creative vision mean? This is the ability to create running lanes and see them on your own. Let’s be real, many of the elite backs we see at the HS level are running through the front seven untouched at times. These opportunities are scarce at the next level. Special backs can create and see running lanes on their own, through pacing and patience. Those backs who have elite vision can set up blockers early, while simultaneously bracing for the next flow of defenders. Prospects with elite vision have an incredible sense of when and where to cut, when and where to put their shoulders down. I come across backs that have this understood, it shows on tape.
Wide Receiver
Hands
I said I’d leave the obvious out of this, yet here I am. Hands, you have to have them to play well at the next level. This is a given but let’s take a deeper approach to this trait. There are numerous prospects that either catch the ball away from their body or use their chest to catch passes. Waiting for passes to hit your chest opens a slight window of opportunity for DBs to deflect, this window is wider the higher level of ball you end up playing. It’s crucial you can develop hands that catch passes away from your body. Catch radius and body control are crucial as well.
Ability to be Undeterred by Physicality
The days of you getting off the LOS untouched are over. The days of you having a free release with hardly any resistance downfield are over. Can you still play ball with a DB that is taught how to manipulate your route? Can you fight to get open? It isn’t a given anymore. You’re going to be accounted for in some way, you need to build a repertoire to deter DBs from driving you off your route. The days are gone of just one good DB on a team, expect an entire secondary to be loaded with capable defenders who are just as athletic as you are.
Separation Skills
This skill might set wideouts apart all the way to the top. If you can’t separate, good luck at the next level. Hold on, what does it really mean to separate?
I’ve witnessed kids with blazing speed tear up a camp or 7-on-7 setting. I’ve seen it time and time again. Then the pads come on, suddenly, things are different? As a pass-catcher being projected to the next level, you need to have the ability to separate from your defender. You can do this in a myriad of ways, this isn’t a speed thing per se. Let’s take the first step and speak about how you can separate at the LOS. Subtlety off the LOS, growing and grooming your release, can go a long way in helping you separate downfield. Defensive backs at the next level are FAST, the catch-up speed and athleticism will shock wideouts. You getting open is crucial, developing a real release based on the route you’re running will be vital to throw DBs off early in a set. False steps off the snap, false steps at the stem of your routes, all of these things hamper your ability to get open.
Concerning speedy wideouts. Do you possess real speed? Does your 40 time translate to the football field? We all know the prospects that obliterate camp settings and combines, yet can’t separate down field? How? I’ve seen some of the fastest players get eaten up by elite DB play. Large in part because they can’t handle physicality, they have a lukewarm release, they lack discipline in and out of their breaks/cuts. Separating at the next level is vital to having a successful collegiate career.
Tight End
Alignment Versatility
Future tight-end prospects need to be prepared to be placed in various alignments, some that they might not be comfortable in at first. For the most part, many of the top tight-end prospects already have an idea of this, often playing both ways or serving as in-line blockers and pass-catchers simultaneously. You’re going to need to work with linemen when aligned tight. You’re going to need to work with backs and fullbacks if you’re aligned in the backfield. You are going to have to work with wideouts and QBs alike if you are going to be a factor in the passing game. This will inevitably go for special teams as well. Kickoff, kick return, punt return, punt blocking. You will need to know where to be and how to be successful at each alignment.
Full comprehension of linemen responsibilites
Full comprehension of pass-catching responsibilites
Tight end isn’t for everyone. This is hardly an easy position to play. Along with knowing where to be, despite being uncomfortable, you’ll need to actively understand what is asked of you whether you are running routes or blocking massive defensive ends and pass rushers. Offensive linemen’ responsibilities are difficult as is, you’re going to need to know who to block at all times. Don’t forget all of the different passing concepts you’ll be trusted with as well. This is far from an easy position to be successful in.
IOL
Movement Skills (laterally, in space)
Key assignments on the go
Complete field awareness pre-post snap
Interior linemen’s traits are similar to the ones most interior linemen are already used to. Guards need to be able to move, both laterally and in space. This game speed needs to be elevated through coaching and conditioning. Most coaches will get you straight. Slow feet don’t eat. You need to be prepared for a considerable boost in responsibilities if you’re going to play in the interior of a collegiate offensive line unit. Communication skills need to be elevated, awareness needs to be evident before the snap and after. Again, another incredibly tough position to play, the first years of your development will be the hardest. You’re all strong, you’re all monsters, now you’ll need to attach a brain to Frankenstein.
Tackles
Size Threshold
Yes, it’s a shame. Much like quarterbacks, there isn’t much leeway for tackles who aren’t 6’3 and up. Of course, there are outliers. Of course, you shouldn’t give up on your dream because of measurable criteria. That being said, most coaching staffs have a height/weight combination that they will not break or even bend. They have a reason for this. They cannot bet their coaching lives on someone small. He can however bet on someone with slow feet, or someone lacking technique. Why? You can teach those things, you cannot teach size. If you could I’d be in the league with the rest of you.
Attitude/Motor
Here’s a trait that some coaches say you cannot teach either. You either have it or you don’t. This jumps off the tape, It jumps off the field too. Motor and effort are one thing but playing with real tenacity and anger is usually what separates the men from the boys. Coaches want to know your field temperament and will more than likely gauge this early in your collegiate career if they haven’t done so already. You don’t have to be a monster off the field, just one on the field.
Flexibility – Functional Mobility
Ever go to combines or camps and wonder why the hell are coaches asking to see your knee bend? Ever do those knee/hip position drills? If you are unaware, most coaches want to test your Flexibility or often-used Functional Mobility. Yes, you’re 6’6 and 300 pounds. Can that behemoth of a prospect move athletically? Can his body/joints handle the constant berating he’s going to take at the next level? The more flexible you are in ratio to your size, the better idea a coach will get that you can actually sustain your own size. Knee bend/position is huge, tackles know this. Your technique as a whole is vital, can your body withstand the beating defenses, as well as yourself, will put on it? Flexibility will often be a deciding factor in how you will be used as well. It’s a great indicator for figuring out what kind of athlete they are dealing with. Stiff tackles have a tough time breaking out of this mold.