The battle for the five-star trench talent figures to be fierce. What does he bring to the table?
Already a monstrous 6'3, 305 pounds, defensive Tim Settle figures to be one of the most highly sought after recruits in the 2015 class.
For proof, just take a look at his equally monstrous offer list -- as of February 2014, the Manassus, Va., native already had 28 programs offering him a scholarship, ranging from the likes of Alabama and Ohio State to West Coast powers UCLA and USC. Reigning national champion Florida State has also thrown its hat into the proverbial ring, as has in-state Virginia.
Settle has earned a five-star rating on the February 2014 247sports composite, making him one of seven 2015 defensive tackles to do so. Among that top group, Settle, who is currently considered the 16th-best recruit in the country, ranks fifth, trailing Albany (Ga.) Westover's Trent Thompson, Birmingham (Ala.) Shades Valley's Daron Payne, Gladewater (Texas)'s Daylon Mack and Lexington (N.C.)'s Shy Tuttle. That's not exactly bad company.
(And as an aside, is there anything better than having the middle of your defense headed by someone from Stonewall Jackson High School? No. Of course not.)
I am a big fan of Tim Settle. If I had two words to describe him, they would be "explosive" and "disruptive." On film, he does a great job of exploding through blockers and quickly getting off them and after the running back. He showcases excellent skills for a three-technique defensive tackle, the position made famous by Warren Sapp in Tampa Bay.
Settle has powerful hips, and when he bends and uses good technique, he is way too much for high school blockers to handle. I would like to see him hold the point of attack more than he does in his highlights, and he sometimes does get out of control in pursuit.
Settle is definitely one of the ten best defensive tackle recruits I have seen in the Class of 2015. I do think he is somewhat close to his ceiling weight wise, so most of his improvements will come from more experience, coaching and toning, as opposed to adding a ton of mass.