The D'Anfernee McGriff recruit scouting report shows why he is such a valuable prospect.
D'Anfernee McGriff is a big Class of 2015 running back.
McGriff, out of Leon High School in Tallahassee, Fla., stands 6'0 and weighs in at 230 pounds. As of April, he's rated as a four-star prospect by 247sports and Scout, and is not yet rated by Rivals and ESPN. Scout says he's the 22nd-best running back in the class, and 247 has him at No. 26 for his position. The 247sports composite ratings, a compilation of data from the four major recruiting services, lists him as the 187th-best player in the nation, 13th-best running back and 26th best player from the state of Florida.
McGriff has drawn interest from some top programs, mostly in the Southeast. He holds scholarship offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, South Carolina, Cincinnati, Louisville, North Carolina, Ole Miss and Wisconsin, among others.
Fans can follow McGriff on Twitter @Dmcgriff1.
McGriff is a very interesting player who has some skills that suggest he can be used in a variety of roles. The first thing one notices about him is his size. McGriff is a very big prospect, and while he may be able to add some additional good weight in college, he's not someone who I would project to add 25 or 35 pounds when all is said and done.
McGriff has been recruited primarily at running back and on defense, as a hybrid linebacker/safety type.
I believe he projects best as an H-Back or fullback type because I think that position will put McGriff in the best position to use his wide array of skills, including running, catching and blocking.
McGriff plays a lot of wildcat-style quarterback for his high school team. And in this role, he shows his skills as a runner. He is quicker than fast, showing good acceleration for such a big player, but limited long speed. McGriff does have good elusiveness and change-of-direction for a player of his size.
At the college level, McGriff will need to run with more power and better utilize his size, and run with better pad level. He will not have as many long runs in college, and will need to be better turning runs of zero or one yards into runs of two or three.
McGriff also has value as a receiver out of the backfield. He doesn't catch the ball in high school, but did catch it OK in a recent camp, and he showed good ability to run routes and change direction. He could give linebackers trouble in coverage, particularly if he is coming out of a run fake.
Early on, McGriff's best value may come as a blocker. The quicker he becomes adept using his size and strength to become a good blocker, the sooner he will see the field at the college level.
I think McGriff can be a multi-year starter for an upper-level BCS team, and the school that finds a role to use all of his talents will be very fortunate.