Film Room: Summer Edition, Part IV

<p>With spring practices in the rearview, we have plenty of time to check out some tape from last season and this spring to start evaluating players. To be featured, make sure to drop your film under <a href="https://twitter.com/CJacksonPRZ/status/1663590168480055308?s=20"><em>this tweet</em></a>.</p>   <p><strong>Dralin Gilbert</strong> - 2025 - RB - 6'0 200 - Lovejoy</p>   <p>After evaluating Gilbert, I placed a firm D1 grade on him. With 2 more years of football ahead of him until he hits the college ranks, I like Gilbert's developmental foundation. For starters, he is a big RB prospect at 6'0 200, proving tough to bring down. He will lower his shoulder and drive through defenders to pick up extra yards, but his size alone makes it challenging for defenders to get their arms around him and bring him to the turf. There are two main takeaways I have after watching Gilbert's film: 1) He runs with patience and discipline. He uses his vision to dissect running lanes and has his head on a swivel as he is lumbering downfield. He always seems a step ahead of the defense and is able to time his cuts and shifts in order to evade the defense. 2) He has noticeably good body control at this point in his career. He is able to dodge leg tacklers and regain his footing well after contact. For a bigger runner, he can piece his way through the 1st and 2nd levels efficiently. This next year could be his big breakout season. If so, I think we will start to see some legit recruiting attention head his way. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/KingDralin/status/1663806194715090946?s=20 </div></figure>   <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='667560' first='Ryder' last='Duffy'] </em></strong>- 2025 - LB - 6'0 200 - Roswell</p>   <p>Duffy is a gritty playmaker looking to build off a productive 2022 season. Duffy might not be the kind of prospect that scares you coming off the bus, but he certainly plays with the level of intensity and discipline that is required to play the LB spot. He is a good tackler that packs a surprising amount of punch at contact. He isn't necessarily the old-school "plug the gap" type of LB, but he is strong enough to not get blown back at contact and he typically wins most of the battles against RBs that require being physical. He drives his shoulder into the gut of the ball carrier and drives them to the ground. Duffy is efficient as a blitzer as he has good speed and shifts his momentum well. He can also sneak his way through the offensive front and evade blockers nicely. Most of his production is in the box, but he has the speed to run sideline to sideline and drop back into coverage if needed. You will probably find more athletic LBs out there, but Duffy is certainly no slouch and plays a fundamentally sound brand of football. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ryderduffy7/status/1664299106997526531?s=20 </div></figure>   <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='283793' first='Blake' last='Stewart'] </em></strong>- 2026 - DB - 6'1 160 - Landmark Christian </p>   <p>Long and lanky DB that produced and showed some serious upside as a freshman. Stewart's length and frame are obvious plusses, but his versatility and athletic profile tie his game together and make him an intriguing DB prospect. Stewart is a fluid mover that can shift his momentum and change directions with ease. He has good technique at safety, where we project him. He seems to process the play well and put himself in a position to impact the football. He has decent ball skills and uses his long arms to his advantage as he can pluck the football out of the air or knock the ball to the turf. Stewart is also able to play on an island at corner. His length allows him to press receivers and create leverage. He is fluid in his hips, allowing him to open up and run stride for stride with most receivers. He is still growing physically and adding more strength, but his length offers him a wide tackling radius and he can get his arms all the way around the ball carrier. Stewart showed some promise as a freshman and is only going to continue growing as an athlete. There is P5 upside here. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BlakeStewart_26/status/1663917063503597568?s=20 </div></figure>   <p><strong><em>Christopher Garrett</em></strong> - 2024 - QB - 6'0 210 - Bradwell Institute </p>   <p>Sleeper QB prospect that clearly has a natural feel for the QB position. Garrett plays with solid pocket presence and has really good mechanics. Garrett senses pressure well and does enough to evade tacklers. He climbs the pocket and keeps all of his options open down the field. When he does have to bail to the outside, he is able to bring his hips through and fire the ball on the run. Garrett has noticeably good passing mechanics. His eyes lead his feet and he generates plenty of force and rotation from the ground. He is always in rhythm and is able to throw with good timing. The ball usually comes out of his hand as a tight spiral and he throws a catchable ball for his receivers. As an athlete, he can make some plays with his legs. Again, his sense of where the pressure is coming from helps him process whether to hang in the pocket or put his foot in the ground and run. Garrett is a smooth, consistent QB prospect that should certainly be on the radar for some smaller schools. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/garrett_cjqb/status/1664465449424224256?s=20 </div></figure>   <p><strong><em>Emmanuel Talabi</em></strong> - 2024 - DL - 6'2 275 - Alpharetta </p>   <p>Fiery, athletic defensive line prospect with some versatility and flashes of excellence in his game. Talabi is extremely explosive off the line and fires his hands with violence to deliver jarring force and knock defenders off-balanced. If his hands catch you while flat-footed, there is a good chance you will end up on the ground before you even have a chance to make a play. He gets off blocks by fighting with his arms and hands. He can slap the outside arm of the defender to free himself up or he can extend and pull to get right by you. Either way, his combination of strength and high motor will make him hard to handle on any given snap. He has the versatility to play up and down the defensive line, taking snaps anywhere from nose to defensive end. His athleticism does translate nicely to the edge, but given his size and the ability to wreak havoc in running lanes, he projects best on the interior. Talabi will get a shot at the next level and is a candidate to outplay any projections for him coming out of high school. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/EmmanuelT_/status/1663956100419289106?s=20 </div></figure>

With spring practices in the rearview, we have plenty of time to check out some tape from last season and this spring to start evaluating players. To be featured, make sure to drop your film under this tweet.