The Film Room: #TN2025 Evals (Part VII)
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Continuing our deep dive in the film room and into our senior class, here we breakdown five more prospects that have the potential to become contributors, starters or game changers on the college level. Arnett Hayes, Jr HEIGHT 6'2" WEIGHT…
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Continue ReadingContinuing our deep dive in the film room and into our senior class, here we breakdown five more prospects that have the potential to become contributors, starters or game changers on the college level.
Strengths – Hayes,Jr stepped onto the scene in a big way last year as a junior where he produced 70 receptions for over 1,000 yards and helped increase the Wildcats passing attack in a major way. What this Mid-Tennessee talent brings to the table is size, big play abilities and the upside to become a #1 receiver option in the college ranks. What I like most about this guy when watching the film is his ability to make tough, contested catches and his strength to work through defenders. Hayes, Jr is a strong dude with room to add more strength but he uses that power well to work through contact and come down with the catch. He is also a good athlete too that can make some “wow” plays on the field while also providing his quarterback a sure handed target to throw at on a consistent basis. The Wildcats senior can be your deep threat but also run the intermediate routes and work short. This is a versatile receiver that could work at the “X” or “Y” positions or slide into the slot and cause damage. There is a lot to like about this Nashville area product with plenty of upside left to be fulfilled.
Improvement – Looking in-depth over his junior film while also seeing him work in person at our PRZTN Winter Showcase, the biggest thing about Hayes, Jr needs to work on is his overall speed. The Wildcats receiver can run but could definitely increase the speed and make himself an even more feared wideout.
Overview – There may be some traits that need further development with Hayes, Jr but in the end, this guy is a competitor that knows how to get open and come down with the catch. The Wildcats senior wideout plays a consistent brand of football where he shows up game in and game out, providing his team a go-to target they can depend on. If his speed can increase over these off-season months, bigger programs may start to get involved as Hayes, Jr brings a lot to the table that college coaches would enjoy working with. He already holds several offers in hand with interest coming from many others, so it will be interesting to watch his progression over the coming months and see where his recruitment goes and how high his stock can rise.
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Strengths – A multi year starter for his Red Devils team, Ross has been a consistent performer out East for the past few years and now heads into his senior season as a Top 10 in-state tight end that has the potential to play his way into the college ranks. First thing you notice and like about this East Tennessee product is his hands. Ross is a natural pass catcher with strong mits that provides his quarterback a big target that can run just about every intermediate route called. The Red Devils senior is a strong route runner that can flex out into the slot. This is a good athlete with room for growth that can do a variety of things on the playing field from flexing out wide, playing on the line or even being placed into the backfield as a H-Back or fullback. His versatility to me is one of his biggest strengths and a reason more college coaches will get involved sooner than later. Ross has a body/frame on him too that can pack on more weight, turning him into a more physically imposing prospect as well as increasing his run blocking.
Improvement – Gaining more power, strength and weight is the biggest thing about Ross that needs improvement headed into the 2024 season. If this Red Devils pass catcher can increase his body mass, it would help him tons with his run blocking as well as make things harder on defenders when guarding him. Increasing his speed and overall explosion off the line is something Ross can further develop as well over these off-season months.
Overview – As we are deep into the #TN2025 recruiting process, Ross has yet to see the offers float his way but I think with continued work this summer in camps and another strong senior year, this East Tennessee tight end can work his way into the FCS and possibly D1 ranks. Yes I think he is good enough to reach the big stage because Ross can catch and run with room to increase those traits as well. This is a consistent, steady ball player that does a lot of little things right. He is a team first guy that will do whatever it takes to help the team win but Ross can be a gamechanger as well due to his size and ability to run after the catch. He may sit under the radar at the moment but Ross could be a steal for someone down the road and a prospect that pays off big time with continued years of development and growth.
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Strengths – This Memphis area interior O-lineman heads into the summer camps months as one of the top guard/center prospects from the #TN2025 class and someone that brings consistency, grit and toughness to the line of scrimmage that plays up well on the collegiate level. Standing 6 ‘4 300 pounds plus, Ray, Jr has the physical look and size to compete at a high level along with excellent football intelligence and strong handwork. The Owls senior mauler does a good job of latching his hands onto a defender and keeping them in-check or driving them to the ground. He picks up stunts well, showing nice reactionary skills along with enough power to stop momentum. Ray, Jr is an excellent run blocker due to his power, lower body mobility and love for making contact and being physical. This guy is a mauler, so you won’t have to worry about him competing at a high level while hitting people. His pass blocking isn’t too bad either. Ray, Jr is a deceptive athlete that has good feet, so he can handle his own up front with room to improve further with his overall pass blocking. The biggest thing I take away from Ray, Jr is his consistent play up front that you can depend on game in and game out.
Improvement – Increasing his agility and lower base are the biggest things to improve upon this off-season. Ray, Jr moves well but can be even better with added explosion off the line. Continuing to add power and strength as well as enhancing his pass blocking are other areas to work on as well. The Owls senior is a brute with a mauler mentality but enhancing that power would make him an even more feared run blocker in the trenches. Overview – Consistent, steady and tough, Ray, Jr is someone that could be brought into your O-line room and immediately make the entire group better due to his game play and work ethic. He also brings value as someone that could handle all three interior O-line positions and excel at a high level with all three. Ray, Jr has generated some good buzz so far through his recruitment, adding in a few D1 offers but he has yet to really see everything take-off. I think that will change over the next few months as this Memphis area O-lineman hits the camp scene then takes his increased skill set into the season and dominates. This is a good football player that could turn out to be a multi-year starter on the next level, so expect to hear more and more about Ray, Jr moving forward.
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Strengths – Finding a way to the quarterback is a valuable trait on the next level and beyond and that’s exactly what Fiorita can do! The Golden Bears senior edge rusher produced a monster year last Fall with 18 sacks and he has the ability to generate more this season. The reason for that is that Fiorita shows excellent bend on film along with being able to stay balanced with speed towards the quarterback. He can get low and get around the tackle with ease then show the motor and burst to cause havoc in the backfield. Besides getting after the quarterback, this Mid-Tennessee talent also shows good work at shedding blocks and releasing quick against the run. He sports good range and the ability to chase the ball down with vigor. Fiorita is a good athlete too that can drop and play within the intermediate space around the line if called upon. There is room to enhance this guy’s athleticism, which could make him even more feared coming off the edge.
Improvement – The biggest thing Fiorita must do over the coming months is to continue hitting the weight room hard and packing on more weight. He stands 6’4 225 pounds, which fits the edge linebacker role but if he wants to sustain himself on the line of scrimmage, Fiorita has to gain the needed weight.
Overview – Finding pass rushers that can consistently get after the quarterback are hard to find and Fiorita has that unique skill along with the upside to get better. The Golden Bears senior can chase down the quarterback with the best of them in this state with tons of room for growth moving forward. His junior season definitely put himself on the map as a legit college recruit and this off-season, Fiorita has been a busy guy landing new offers and taking in visits. The interest is there for this Wilson County product but he has yet to break through into that Power Four realm. His work this off-season in camps and this Fall football season should dictate that and I think he can get the job done as Fiorita shows excellent athletic skills and the ability to play in the backfield that college coaches would enjoy working with.
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Strengths – Tall and long with a great frame for added weight, Lawrence brings great physical traits to the playing field along with athleticism and versatility to handle multiple roles within the secondary. Last year as a junior, the Eagles defensive back had a chance to step into the spotlight as the team’s top cornerback and he handled himself very well. If you look at his junior film, Lawrence shows excellent discipline, a technique sound game along with nice lower body bend and hip movements. He does a good job of playing his man and reading the pass then quickly reacting. This is a smart, savvy ball player that leans on his discipline and technique to get the job done along with his height and length being a problem for opposing receivers. While Lawrence does have experience at corner, he has the skill set and size to excel at safety as well. His body has room for added weight and he is willing to be physical with his tackling, so the value at safety is certainly there.
Improvement – Watching over his clips, the biggest Lawrence needs to work on is his overall speed. It’s not like this guy can’t run but to play the corner position on the college level, this Mid-TN talent will need to gain more straight line speed. He can also continue working on his quickness, which would also allow him to make quicker reactions on the ball. Gaining the needed weight is at the top of the list too.
Overview – This is a solid ball player that does a lot of things the right way. He’s not the cleanest prospect from the #TN2025 class but he would be inside the Top 20. Lawrence brings a lot of physical traits and upside to the secondary where his abilities could be used in a variety of ways and I feel like he is just scratching the surface of what he can become. The Eagles senior defender has intriguing height and lower body movements to be considered out at cornerback but I feel like his biggest upside sits at free safety. If he can continue developing his overall skill set this off-season, bigger programs like West Virginia, who Lawrence is visiting soon, will begin to get involved.