Welcome to The Crootletter (sign up to get this in your inbox every morning!). I'm Bud Elliott, SB Nation's National Recruiting Analyst, and in this space I'll be sharing news, rumors and musings on the world of college football recruiting.
With the NFL Combine going on, there has been a lot of talk about measurements. Now in my fifth camp season as a national recruiting analyst for SB Nation, I feel I am getting better and better at eyeballing the height and weight of prospects. But that system is not perfect, and I always check the camp measurements when they are released.
Last weekend, I was in Orlando for the Nike Opening Regional. Let's take a look at some of the measurements: .
Offense (observations and superlatives here)
I was happy to see the top-billed quarterbacks checking in as advertised. Florida commit Jake Allen is 6'3.5, 204 pounds; N'Kosi Perry is 6'3.5, 178; Baylor commit Kellen Mond measured 6'3, 202; Cade Weldon is 6'2.5, 303; and Mac Jones measured6'2.5, 180. Colleges care about height, and QB is a position that often features a lot of inflated tales of size from high school coaches and parents. I was also impressed with Perry's 4.86-second 40-yard dash and his 4.35 shuttle time, excellent for a tall quarterback. Quickness is more important than speed at the QB position, because quarterbacks have to be able to make sudden movements to avoid rushers but rarely get to run full speed.
The running backs who stood out all had measurements that matched the eyeball test. Fort Myers' Darrian Felix checked in at 5'10.5, 188, which is very good size for a scat back/slot receiver type. Lakeland's A.J. Davis is an impressive 5'11, 193, Clearwater's Adarius Lemons is 6'0.5, 194 with room to add more and Orange City University's Lorenzo Lingard 6'0, 182 entering his junior season.
Receivers also had some solid size. St. Petersburg Admiral Farragut's Matt Landers checked in at 6'5, 175. I love Landers' upside but do not see him as an instant-impact player, because he does need to add muscle. Superstar receiver James Robinson, of Lakeland, measured 6'3, 196, which is what colleges want. Baylor commit Jhamon Ausbon is 6'3, 217 and used his size quite well.
There were some surprising measurements at receiver, too. Star slot receiver D.J. Matthews of Jacksonville Trinity Christian came in at 5'10, 150. I knew Matthews was rail thin, but I would have figured him for 160 or 165 pounds. He is listed at 6,0, 170 on several recruiting sites. Cocoa's Bruce Judson looked heavy, and his measurement of 5'9, 202 confirmed that.
Along the offensive line, I knew IMG's Robert Hainsey was about 6'4.5, but I was surprised that he is only 276 pounds. IMG's Cesar Ruiz (6'3, 314) did not look 38 pounds heavier to my eye, but that's the data.
Defense (observations and superlatives here)
IMG defensive end Joshua Kaindoh came in as advertised at 6'6, 256, running a laser-timed 4.86 40-yard dash, which was faster than all but three defensive linemen, all of whom were at least 30 pounds lighter. Compare that to Zachary Carter, the other highly rated end at the event, who checked in at 6'4.5, 251 and clocked a 5.23, 0.37 seconds slower than Kaindoh. I don't care as much about 40-yard dashes as I do the 10-yard split, but that is still a notable difference.
Another thing that stood out to me was linebacker height. Only one linebacker with Power 5 offers came in at 6'2 or taller. IMG four-star backer Will Ignont came in at 6'1, 236 despite being listed at 6'3 on various sites. Nickel linebacker types A.J. Dezhazor (5'11.5, 185) and Decalon Brooks (5'10, 197) came in as small as they appeared to be.
Defensive backs did bring good height, though. Fast-rising cornerback Ameer Speed checked in at 6'3.5, 194 and ran a 4.63 40-yard dash and a 4.55 shuttle, quite solid times for a defensive back of that height. Ohio State commitment Marcus Williamson, of IMG Academy, posted a blazing 4.09 shuttle time at 5'9, 177. In an environment where schools want big corners, they are still willing to make exceptions for prospects who can move like Williamson. Georgia defensive back commitment Richard LeCounte III is listed at 6'1, 175 on several recruiting sites, but he is actually 5'10.5. That does not lessen my opinion of him, because he is an explosive athlete.
Overall, though, it looks like most of the top players are about the size they were estimated to be.
Previously
If you're a recent signup or missed a day, that's OK. I link my previous Crootletters in this section.
Steven Godfrey and I discussed the mechanics and timing of negative recruiting.
I wrote 3,000 words on the top performers from Nike's The Opening Regional in Orlando. Here's offense and defense.
I wrote about how roster balance in recruiting can help with player development at other positions.
Which states kept top talent home the most? Plus, observations about in-state recruiting across the Southeast.