Toliver is one of the best players in the Class of 2015.
Cornerback Kevin Toliver II is one of the top players in the Class of 2015, sporting a great combination of size and natural ability. Toliver, out of Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Fla., stands 6'2 and weighs in at 185 pounds. As of early February, he's listed as a five-star prospect by 247 Sports, Rivals and Scout, and a four-star by ESPN. The 247 Sports composite and ranked as the No. 1 high school player in the class, and Rivals ranks him first at his position and third in the nation.
Already claiming an impressive list of scholarship offers, Toliver has drawn interest from more than 40 top programs around the country, including LSU, Auburn, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Florida, Texas A&M, Alabama, Florida State, Michigan State and USC, among many others.
Fans can follow Toliver II on Twitter at @Toliver_Era.
So what makes Toliver II special? Like other top prospects, it is the combination of size and athleticism. Many prospects have size or athleticism, but only the truly special ones are elite in both areas. Toliver is going to eventually be the size of a college safety, but he has the speed and quickness to stay at cornerback. And with so many teams demanding size at corner, particularly in the Southeast (LSU, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Florida State, to name a few), there is not enough to go around. And players who can play a smaller man's position at a bigger man's size win games for their teams.
It's not just that Toliver II has size, however, it's also that he is able to use that size and translate it to great physicality. Toliver is one of the best at jamming opponents that I have ever seen in the high school ranks. I once saw him almost get tossed out of a 7-on-7 competition for being too physical at the line. Toliver has the length and the strength to jam even the strongest college receivers.
But one can only press for so long, and it's what Toliver does after the press that makes him one of the best in the country. He quickly transitions into coverage with the receiver, sticking with him step for step. He changes direction well for his size, and his top-end speed is very good as well. He is not a player who seems likely to end up moving to safety.
And in the red zone, Toliver combines his physicality and length with great leaping ability. This makes him very valuable against jump balls when teams run out of real estate.
Like a lot of players on the loaded Trinity Christian team, Toliver tries to hit more than he wraps up, so his tackling will need a bit of work at the college level.
I expect Toliver will be a high-level starter in a major conference for multiple years and a future NFL player. If he develops well, he may end up spending only three years at the college level.