Though he’s a true tight end at the next level, Haywood played a lot of receiver for Providence last year. That meant he was often operating in the flats and winning after the catch. He’s a true 6’5″ with blazing speed for his size and good ball skills, even if he hasn’t been asked to make many plays down the field. When he gets those opportunities, he’s come up big for the offense with some tough catches in coverage. Though it’s not the biggest part of his game, he’s a willing blocker who has flashed dominant reps in the running game.

Coming off of an All-Conference season with 36 catches and 6 touchdowns, Alex has developed into the difference-maker type of player I thought he could be when I saw him dominate junior varsity games a couple of years ago in person. He’s got an excellent physical frame at 6’5 and 230 pounds, and can split out wide and dominate against smaller defensive backs in space. He’s got an 80-inch wingspan for a huge catch radius on top of that as well. College football programs are starting to take notice now, as Alex has picked up offers from Campbell, Coastal Carolina, and Columbia in the past few weeks.

Alex Haywood Alex Haywood 6'5" | 225 lbs | TE Providence | 2027 State NC | Providence | 6’5” 225
Haywood burst onto the scene as a freshman, scoring double-digit touchdowns and establishing himself as a go-to weapon. His sophomore campaign was cut short by a lower leg injury, but after a strong rehab process and a productive 7v7 season, he’s back at full strength. At 6’5, 225, Haywood is a massive target with receiver-like speed and hands. Expect him to return to his freshman form and once again push for double-digit touchdowns.

Haywood’s size and speed alone are enough to turn heads, as an 80-inch wingspan and mid-4.5 40 will almost certainly translate. He’s a guy who could blow up in the next few months as he gets out to camps, something that we definitely pay attention to. We’re waiting patiently for his breakout and expect that he’s a guy who could move up our rankings by August.

Seeing Alex absolutely dominate on JV as a tall wide receiver has me excited to see what he can do as a tight end prospect. Alex has very strong hands and does a good job of simply using his height to win in jump ball situations over smaller defensive backs. Alex will have to develop his skills as an in-line blocker to help run block in the running game. However, I think Alex is good enough to contribute at tight end this season on the Varsity as a vertical receiving threat. The Panthers use the tight end in their offense quite a bit, so it will be interesting to see how fast Alex develops the full game at the tight end spot this season.