Scouting Report: Antwuan Davis

Tag: scouting report

25Apr 2012
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Scouting Report: Antwuan Davis

Bastrop (TX) Bastrop CB Antwuan Davis

Name: Antwuan Davis
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 180 lbs.
Position: Cornerback
Class: 2013
School: Bastrop (TX) Bastrop

Notes: Holds offers from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Baylor, Florida, Houston, Iowa State, LSU, Michigan, Mississippi, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, SMU, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Vanderbilt . . . Claims a 4.4-second forty-yard dash . . . Missed half his junior season with broken bone in his back . . . ESPN 4-star cornerback, 80 grade, #13 cornerback, #147 overall . . . Rivals 4-star cornerback, #14 cornerback, #171 overall . . . Scout 4-star cornerback, #15 cornerback . . . 247 Sports 3-star, 88 grade, #34 cornerback

Strengths: Very physical player . . . Solid tackler . . . Wraps up ball carriers well rather than diving at knees or ankles . . . Physical with blockers and uses hands well to shed them . . . Should grow to be 195 lbs. or so . . . Excellent make-up speed . . . Transitions well out of backpedal

Weaknesses: Needs to work on pursuit angles rather than counting on speed to bail him out . . . Could be more aggressive and physical when rerouting receivers off the line of scrimmage . . . Does not change directions well when transitioning from backpedal to breaking on underneath routes

Projection: Cornerback.  Davis looks like a boundary corner at the next level because he’s a physical player who should be able to hold his own in the run game.  He has good size at 6’0″ but doesn’t show the instincts to look like a future safety, so I think he’ll stick on the edge.  He has very good speed and should be able to turn and run with most receivers, so I think he would fit best with a team that runs predominantly man coverage.  I like his attitude and toughness on the field (he continued to play for a short time after he broke the bone in his back), but he doesn’t flash the change of direction to look like a future superstar.

Reminds me of: Troy Woolfolk but a little more physical

19Apr 2012
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Scouting Report: E.J. Levenberry, Jr.

Woodbridge (VA) C.D. Hylton linebacker E.J. Levenberry

Name: E.J. Levenberry, Jr.
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 226 lbs.
Class: 2013
Position: Linebacker
School: Woodbridge (VA) C.D. Hylton

Notes: Holds offers from Alabama, Auburn, East Carolina, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Rutgers, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Villanova, Virginia, and Virginia Tech . . . As a junior in 2011, had 151 tackles, 4 sacks, and 3 interceptions . . . As a sophomore in 2010, had 125 tackles, 5 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 2 interception returns for touchdowns . . . ESPN 4-star OLB . . . Rivals 4-star OLB, #3 OLB, #15 overall . . . Scout 4-star OLB, #7 OLB, #80 overall . . . 247 Sports 4-star ILB, 91 grade, #11 ILB, #232 overall

Strengths: Large frame . . . Could easily grow into a 245-250 lb. linebacker . . . Very good blitzer . . . Times up blitzes well, quick and aggressive through the line . . . Heavy hitter . . . Good awareness in pass coverage . . . Length and athleticism help him cover a large swath of ground

Weaknesses: Not very technically sound . . . Needs to develop more consistent stance . . . Not the most instinctive linebacker . . . Needs to attack downhill quicker . . . Sometimes waits for ball carrier to come to him . . . Needs to improve shedding blocks, initial punch, and hand placement

Projection: MIKE linebacker.  Levenberry has the ability to play either MIKE or SAM linebacker, but with Mike McCray in the fold for Michigan in 2013, I think McCray would be more likely to play SAM.  Levenberry has a lot of physical tools, but he’s a somewhat raw prospect.  When it comes to technique, he seems well behind players like Joe Bolden and James Ross.  He would probably benefit from a chance to redshirt, bulk up, and refine that technique.  All of his physical talents suggest that he could be an all-conference player and develop into an NFL linebacker, but he needs some good coaching to get there.

Reminds me of: Obi Ezeh

12Apr 2012
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Scouting Report: Joey Bosa

Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas defensive end Joey Bosa

Name: Joey Bosa
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 260 lbs.
Class: 2013
Position: Defensive end
School: Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas

Notes: Holds offers from Alabama, Auburn, Boston College, Florida, Florida State, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, Notre Dame, Ohio State, South Florida, West Virginia, and Wisconsin . . . As a junior in 2011, had 52 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks . . . Rivals 4-star SDE, #2 SDE, #14 overall . . . Scout 5-star DE, #2 DE . . . 247 Sports 4-star SDE, 96 grade, #2 SDE, #22 overall

Strengths: Uses hands well . . . Very good initial punch . . . Gets good extension and sheds blocks . . . Solid edge rusher with good balance . . . Dips inside shoulder and takes direct route to quarterback . . . Gets hands up to bat down passes . . . Fires off low and hard . . . Quick off the line . . . Sometimes beats blocks in first one or two steps . . . Solid footwork . . . Takes good pursuit angles . . . Breaks down well when tackling in open field, especially for someone his size . . . Has a nasty streak when taking on blockers and finishing plays . . . High energy, emotional player

Weaknesses: Plays a little high at times . . . Like most kids he’s ineffective when he stands too high . . . Bull rush may prove less effective until he adds significant weight . . . Perhaps too emotional at times

Projection: Strongside defensive end.  I like Bosa the player.  He’s quick off the ball, shows good lateral movement, and is a refined football player.  There’s not much to dislike except he needs to add weight, which is the case for 90% of high schoolers entering college.  I could do with less of the posing and showmanship, but that type of behavior can be reined in a bit.  I also can foresee some issues arising from his nasty streak, which causes him to get involved with some “extracurricular activity” after some plays.  We have seen how Taylor Lewan struggled with the same type of attitude early in his career, but Lewan has learned to control himself better, so it’s possible.  Overall, Bosa seems to be a college ready player who could step in from day one and make an impact on a BCS level team.

Reminds me of: Aaron Lynch (Notre Dame)

29Mar 2012
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Scouting Report: Henry Poggi

Baltimore (MD) Gilman defensive tackle Henry Poggi

Name: Henry Poggi
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 255 lbs.
Class: 2013
Position: Tight end, defensive tackle
School: Baltimore (MD) Gilman

Notes: Holds offers from Alabama, Auburn, Boston College, California, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina State, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, South Florida, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC, Vanderbilt, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin . . . Claims a 4.7 forty yard dash . . . As a junior in 2011, had 49 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and 1 forced fumble . . . As a sophomore in 2010, had 6 sacks . . . ESPN 4-star DT . . . Rivals 4-star DT, #2 DT, #43 overall . . . Scout 4-star DT, #16 DT . . . 247 Sports 4-star DT, 95 grade, #6 DT, #66 overall . . . Brother Sam played at Duke . . . Brother Jim plays for Iowa . . . Father Biff is head coach at Gilman and one of the subjects in Season of Life, a book by Jeffrey Marx

Strengths: Really improved from sophomore to junior year . . . Uses hands well on defense . . . Not extremely explosive, but gets off blocks by using technique and effort . . . Good speed for a defensive tackle . . . Plays low and changes direction well for a big kid . . . Takes good angles of pursuit . . . Aggressive, hard-nosed tackler who wraps up ball carriers . . . Appears to be well coached . . . Strong blocker who could be used in short yardage situations as a tight end . . . Understands leverage and moves feet well when blocking

Weaknesses: Not particularly fast or explosive with pads on . . . Needs to improve upper body strength

Projection: Defensive tackle.  I can see why some teams and analysts have talked about Poggi as an “athlete” because he could contribute at multiple positions at the next level.  He’s a very technically sound player on both sides of the ball.  As he adds weight to his frame, I don’t think he’s going to wow anyone with his physical skills.  He’s not enough of a fast-twitch athlete to contribute as an edge rusher or be a real threat to catch the ball.  He might not end up being big or stout enough to play nose tackle.  But it looks to me that he would fit in well at the 3-technique defensive tackle position, where he can take on (and beat) single blocks with strength and technique.  Heck, with the way he blocks, someone might even want to put some weight on him for a few years and plug him in at offensive guard.  Ultimately, he doesn’t look like a guy who will develop into a first round draft pick, but he could easily be one of those guys who has a very solid college career and gets picked in the 4th through 7th round.

Reminds me of: Dan Klecko

21Mar 2012
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Scouting Report: Laquon Treadwell

Crete (IL) Crete-Monee wide receiver Laquon Treadwell

Name: Laquon Treadwell
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 183 lbs.
Class: 2013
Position: Wide receiver
School: Crete (IL) Crete-Monee

Notes: Holds offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, USC, Vanderbilt . . . As a junior in 2011, caught 75 passes for 1,400 yards and 18 touchdowns . . . As a sophomore in 2010, caught 49 passes for 815 yards and 7 touchdowns . . . Rivals 4-star WR, #5 WR, #31 overall . . . Scout 4-star WR, #11 WR, #76 overall . . . 247 Sports 4-star WR, 94 grade, #8 WR, #75 overall . . . Claims 225 lb. bench, 415 lb. squat . . . High school teammate of former 2012 Michigan commit Anthony Standifer (now committed to Mississippi)

Strengths: Good size at 6’3″, similar to 2012 recruit Jehu Chesson . . . Frame to fill out to 210-215 lbs. . . . Good straight-line speed . . . Gets upfield quickly after catching short passes . . . Shifty but not a dancer . . . Quick feet for a tall kid . . . Plays in a pass-happy offense that gives him lots of reps catching the ball . . . Solid runner after catch . . . Runs with good body lean . . . Strong enough runner to break arm tackles . . . Willing blocker but needs to work on technique

Weaknesses: Plays in a somewhat simple passing offense . . . Needs to improve route running/footwork . . . A bit of a body catcher . . . Might not have enough elite speed to blow past good corners, but should be effective on posts, deep in routes, etc.

Projection: Wide receiver.  Treadwell is one of the top few receivers I’ve seen in the class.  He’s not exceptional in any one area, but he doesn’t have any major deficiencies.  With his size he should be a good red zone threat, but the one thing I would like to see is his leaping ability and whether he can catch the ball away from his body.  He should be a very good college player, though.

Reminds me of: Greg Mathews (but significantly faster) [EDIT: The more I think about it, David Terrell seems to be a better comparison.]