Twelve Alabama Freshmen to Know Before the Regular Season Ends
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Ellis Mcgaskin HEIGHT 6'1" POS LB CLASS 2027 Ellis Mcgaskin School: Williamson High School Mcgaskin plays the game with toughness and solid instincts. Good pre-snap communicator. Reads keys faster than most other linebackers in the class; diagnoses quickly and doesn’t…
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Continue ReadingEllis Mcgaskin
Ellis Mcgaskin
Mcgaskin plays the game with toughness and solid instincts. Good pre-snap communicator. Reads keys faster than most other linebackers in the class; diagnoses quickly and doesn’t take many false steps in pursuit. Has pretty good suddenness to slip through congestion and get to the ball carrier. Thudding hitter, especially for his size. Has the stopping power to stonewall runners at the line. Appears to have better length than his size would indicate. Shows some ability to carry opposing targets into the flat. Nice shoulder dip to work his way into the backfield as a pass-rusher.
Luke Kelly
Luke Kelly
Kelly is powerful enough to knock opponents off-balance. Shows a pretty solid understanding of positioning to wall off opponents and is virtually impossible to work through in the run game. Surprisingly capable when pulling but wasn’t asked to do so too often during the games reviewed. Pass-protects from a wide base with adequate bend and good extension. Proactive with his hands, generally getting good extension, with strong overall placement. Generally plays within his frame, keeping his back straight when blocking in the passing game.
Jonathan Roberto
Jonathan Roberto
Roberto is a good communicator. Patient when making his reads. Does a good job of keeping his shoulders square to the line. Flexibility and quickness allow him to work his way through traffic to the ball carrier when playing between the tackles. Gets good extension when playing off blocks and holds the point of attack better than his size would suggest. Smooth, good athlete who is capable of getting to the edge and chasing down ballcarriers on outside rushing attempts, sweeps, etc.; shows a solid motor in pursuit. Reliable tackler with a relatively wide radius.
Roman Hall
Roman Hall
Hall is a polished corner who plays with a low center of gravity, quick feet, good balance, and pretty good footwork in his backpedal. Matches releases well at the line from press. Patient player who keeps the play in front of him; rarely caught gambling. Processes route combinations well. Quickly sniffs out screens developing. Willing to use his hands and get physical near the line of scrimmage and the boundary. Does a nice job of sticking with opponents on crosses. Flips his hips well when turning and running. Impressive ball skills to make plays when in-phase. Makes tackles quickly to limit yards after the catch. Wrap tackler who’s willing to get involved in run support; breaks down well in the open field. Has the type of skillset towork in the slot.
Ezavier Crowell Ezavier Crowell 5'11" | 200 lbs | RB Jackson | 2027 State AL
Ezavier Crowell Ezavier Crowell 5'11" | 200 lbs | RB Jackson | 2027 State AL
Crowell one-cut runner with enough speed to threaten the edge and who shows good burst to plant and get upfield when the hole is there. Gets defenders to overcommit to flowing laterally and is able to work back inside and find yardage. Makes solid cuts to find rushing lanes from the backfield, and vision is good enough to recognize opportunities to make something out of nothing. Agility is one of his major strengths; has excellent jump-cuts, is able to make defenders miss in the hole in one-on-one situations, and can be very hard to tackle in the open field. Finishes runs by lowering the shoulder and fighting for yards after contact; does a good job of falling forward at the end of his attempts.
Spivey shows discipline and patience in his reads/run fits. Does a nice job of keeping his shoulders square and locking out blockers in the run game. Bends at the knees and shows solid contact balance. Locates the ball well and can shed when appropriate. Able to play the read-option. Has a wide tackling radius. Uses a good straight-arm under the chin to create separation off the edge as a pass-rusher. Calibrates rushes to avoid getting too much depth or making him a liability in the run game. Able to force quarterbacks to climb and then shed blockers to come back inside. Flashes the ability to generate pressure with inside moves. Generally plays from a tight alignment but can run past some tackles from a wider technique.
Highlights
Willis overall instincts/awareness are where they should given his experience; patiently reads keys and doesn’t take many false steps. Shows the technique and quickness to work through congestion between the tackles. Gets good extension to play off of blocks, with adequate functional strength; tends to work around if possible but is willing to step into the hole and take on a block if needed. Good athlete who’s capable of pursuing out toward the sidelines. Looks comfortable dropping into zone coverage with clean footwork/balance; gets enough depth to keep the play in front of him. Quickly sniffs out screens and swing passes developing.
Highlights
Myers has ideal size for a pro quarterback. Sells play-action. No heel click at the back of his drops. Shows a pretty good feel for pressure. Able to climb the pocket and buy time. Tough enough to stand in and take a hit. Throws from a stable base and transfers weight effectively. Has a high release point and consistent follow-through. Sound decision-maker who limits questionable throws. Shows the ability to make anticipatory throws, and throw receivers open. Trusts his arm strength and doesn’t need to see wide-open receivers to throw. Arm talent is very good, with the ability to crank up the velocity as needed. Passes come with appropriate touch. Can drop passes in the bucket down the sidelines. Beautiful timing, touch, and placement on his back-shoulder throws.
Nedarius Davis
Nedarius Davis
Davis plays the game with toughness and solid instincts. Good pre-snap communicator. Reads keys faster than most other linebackers in the class; diagnoses quickly and doesn’t take many false steps in pursuit. Has pretty good suddenness to slip through congestion and get to the ball carrier. Thudding hitter, especially for his size. Has the stopping power to stonewall runners at the line. Appears to have better length than his size would indicate. Efficient wrap tackler who rarely miss any tackles. Sniffs out screens quickly. Shows some ability to carry opposing targets into the flat. Nice shoulder dip to work his way into the backfield as a pass-rusher.
Kylan Baker Kylan Baker 6'0" | 160 lbs | DB Moody | 2027 AL
Kylan Baker Kylan Baker 6'0" | 160 lbs | DB Moody | 2027 AL
Has the toughness and competitiveness teams look for at the position. Plays the game like his hair is on fire, with excellent speed and quickness; great athlete with sideline-to-sideline range. Lightning-fast key-reader who wastes no time getting downhill, racking up tackles for loss throughout his career. Impressive quickness, suddenness, and balance allow him to slip past blockers and create disruption. Good flexibility and a low center of gravity. Highly effective tackler who rarely miss tackles. Strong blitzer who can time snap counts well, does a good job of finding lanes, and closes like a missile; even has a little bit of ability to convert speed to power with a high-intensity bull-rush. Sniffs out screens quickly in coverage and has the range to make tackles.
Ja’Donte Jones
Ja’Donte Jones
Jones typically aligned in press coverage, with nice knee-bend and leverage, but also does some off/shuffle. Clean footwork to match releases at the line. Long strides to get depth when shuffling. Uses his length to pin opponents to the sideline when working against outside releases on the short side. Gets physical against inside releases on routes further downfield, effectively jamming opponents. Feels routes developing and stays connected through the stem. Patient with solid route anticipation/awareness; keeps the play in front of him and has smooth transitions to driving on a spot. Does a good job of getting his head around to locate, and uses his impressive length to break up targets. Has solid leaping skills to climb the ladder and compete for the ball. Good technique to go for the breakup.
Coleman has a pass-first approach and looks composed in the pocket. No heel click at the back of his drops. Effective weight transfer. Has a relaxed throwing motion with a three-quarters delivery. Throws a very catchable ball with a tight spiral and appropriate touch. Has enough arm strength to fit the ball into tight windows. Shows some ability to make anticipatory throws. Checks down when his primary read is covered. Gets appropriate arc on his deep throws. Dual threat who’s a pretty elusive runner, received plenty of opportunities to carry the ball on designed runs and is capable of working his way through arm tackles or picking up first downs when a lane presents itself. Capable of escaping the pocket when faced with penetration. Throws accurately while rolling out to his right.