Lottery Ticket Prospects, Vol. II

One of my favorite things to do is pinpoint some prospects in Georgia whose upside is so high that if it hits, they will make coaches and personnel at the next level look like geniuses. These guys aren't high-profile prospects at the moment, but they have the tools to outplay some of the prospects ranked ahead of him.    When you factor in his frame, arm talent, and general athleticism, Alexander is more juiced up than your typical QB prospect. He has a basketball background and can catch lobs and throw down tomahawk dunks in transition. Alexander was an efficient passer this fall and did so while protecting the football (20/3 TD/INT). Alexander has an elastic, pitcher-style release, separating well in his delivery and cutting through the ball. Flashes the arm talent to throw the ball outside the numbers and boom it behind safeties. He certainly adds touch when needed. He plays nonchalantly in the pocket and does a good job of stepping up to evade pressure. He would rather play inside the pocket, but escapability is a plus and he has some explosiveness when in the open field. This is another "don't overthink it" eval. Alexander is an FBS talent at QB.     Rare body-type prospects always generate plenty of looks, and that's exactly what Gillis is. He is a tall, super lanky 6'6 210. With time in a college weight room, he could easily add at least another 30 pounds to his frame. Gillis plays and produces both ways for Wesleyan. He is an obvious mismatch threat split out wide, using his length to win over the top with ease. He looks to have solid ball skills, plucking the ball away from his body. Gillis led his team in tackles as well, accredited to his large tackling radius. I project Gillis as a TE. His catch radius is one of the largest I have ever seen, and he shows evidence of making contested catches on tape. When you envision Gillis at 240+, it's hard to imagine him not on an FBS or P4 roster.     [player_tooltip player_id='1509004' first='Autoro' last='Whitfield'] checks the "big guy with physical upside" box, something that benefits a lot of talented prospects headed into their senior season. In Georgia alone, several of these players end up playing FBS/P4 ball, and I wouldn't be shocked to see Whitfield be the next. Shows the bounce out of his stance needed to quickly get into his pass set and protect the blind side. He does a good job of running rushers past the QB if he loses initially. For a thinner guy, he counters the bull rush well, anchoring and steering defenders off their feet. He is plenty athletic to get out in space and search for faster defenders. Whitfield has the requisite athletic traits to stick at LT, now he just needs physical growth and technical refinement.     Amarion Jones is a low-key rising senior with late-bloomer potential. He is listed at 6'3 225 with visible room to add weight. His is a grass scraper with noticeable length in his arms. His entire game is based on his violence. He explodes through contact and greets spills with enough force to knock OG's off their feet. He does the same when bullrushing. He has enough shimmy in his shoulders to keep his chest clean as he penetrates. He is a patient player laterally who uses his length to engulf ball carriers fully. His violence is going to prove well for him throughout his career, especially given the physical upside he has.     [player_tooltip player_id='1665682' first='Tyson' last='Sanford'] is a verified burner who cracked onto the football scene this fall. He is a verified 10.82 in the 100M, which checks a lot of boxes when paired with his height and weight. Sanford has the speed to stick with receivers down the sidelines, plays through the hands of receivers, and shows glimpses of physicality when clicking downhill. At times, he can get caught lagging at the top of routes, but he has the speed to compensate by recovering. The next step of his development will be developing the instincts to survive release points and find the football. Sanford has the tools to generate FBS buzz as a corner.     Taycen Roberts is a featherweight corner who showed plenty to be excited about as a junior. He will have to add weight, but there is a lot to like about him as a press corner on the outside. He looks to have more than adequate length listed at 6'1. His hips are active and fluid, allowing him to mirror releases at the line and play attached to a rope with receivers down the field. Better hand placement and mass will benefit his press skills, but he is competitive and frequently ties up receivers at the line. He gets good depth when he bails. Roberts will have to prove he can run well at college camps, but regardless, he is smooth and matches up with receivers well at critical points of routes.     [player_tooltip player_id='1684262' first='Israel' last='Prince-Oyakhire'] is another young Shiloh DB with solid measurables and some of his best football ahead of him. He plays mostly safety but will shade over receivers in the slot at times. He has a super smooth backpedal and gets plenty of depth with it. He reacts well to in-breaking route concepts and clicks downhill quickly. He might move a little awkwardly when coming downhill, but he takes good angles and accelerates nicely right upon contact. He is a verified track athlete and I bet he adds another top gear athletically as he fills into his frame.

One of my favorite things to do is pinpoint some prospects in Georgia whose upside is so high that if it hits, they will make coaches and personnel at the next level look like geniuses. These guys aren't high-profile prospects at the moment, but they have the tools to outplay some of the prospects ranked ahead of him.