John Battle IV is a highly covered recruit out of South Florida. He plays defensive back and wide receiver for Hallandale (FL) High School. Battle is a consensus three-star recruit. He checks in at 6'0 and 170 pounds. As of April 2, Battle claims offers from Florida State, LSU, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, North Carolina, Northwestern, Pitt, Rutgers, South Carolina, South Florida, Tennessee and West Virginia.
Battle also holds a 3.5 GPA and scored a 20 on his ACT, alleviating any qualifying concerns.
Scouting Battle: The first question that comes to mind with Battle is his strength. At only 170 pounds, he looks very skinny. How much muscle can he add in a college strength program without losing significant speed or quickness? And what position will he play? Is he a cornerback or a safety? I do not think he will be a receiver.
For being as skinny as he is, Battle really likes to hit. He plays in the box a lot for Hallandale, and is very aggressive against the run. He struggles to bring down tacklers if his first hit doesn't take them down, but that is to be expected with his lithe frame.
Battle has long arms which assist him in making plays, particularly in tipping away passes.
I think Battle's best fit could be as a safety, provided that he can bulk up some and maintain his range from a center-field role. I do not see him as a box (strong) safety at the next level.
Battle could also play corner in the right system, and his length could help him in press coverage, though without seeing more of him in press coverage, I can't determine how good he will be.
Battle should probably redshirt, as he is unlikely to be more than a special teams player early on in his career.