Commitment Spotlight: S Chris Adimora

When California LB De’Gabriel Floyd committed to Texas in March, he made it clear he would be a huge recruiting presence for the Longhorns on the west coast, specifically in California. When Floyd committed, it appeared to be the first step in Texas re-establishing themselves in one of the most talent-rich areas in the country. The next step was taken today, when Mayfair (CA) S Chris Adimora verbally committed to Texas.

Breaking Down Texas’ Flip of 3-Star TE Prospect Charlie Jilek

National Signing Recap: Texas Lands Nation’s No. 1 Recruiting Class

Adimora joins Kenyatta Watson as the only two defensive backs committed in the 2019 class. The California native took an unofficial to Texas for the Orange-White spring game in April, and came away very impressed. In June, Adimora named a top 7 of Alabama, Texas, Michigan, USC, UCLA, Oregon and the only school he ended up taking an official visit to, Boise State. Ultimately, Adimora decided to shut down the recruiting process and pledge to the Longhorns without taking his remaining official visits, giving Texas their first safety commit this class. The 6’1, 181 pounder ranks as the 14th best safety in the country and the 200th best player overall, according to the 247sports composite rankings.

Film Analysis

Player Information

Name: Chris Adimora

Position: S

High School: Mayfair

City & State: Lakewood, CA

Measurables

Height: 6’1 (Verified)

Weight: 181 (Verified)

40-yard: 4.71 (Verified)

Shuttle: 4.45 (Verified)

Vertical: 32 (Verified)

Statistics

2017: 71 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 7 interceptions

Film

https://www.hudl.com/profile/6729292/Chris-Adimora

Pros:

Possesses solid size for the position at 6’1, 181 pounds and carries a pretty muscled up frame.

First thing that jumps off the tape is the amount of ball production he produces. Lots of interceptions, forced fumbles, and PBUs.

Reminds me of Eric Berry or Ed Reed when he gets his hands on the ball in any phase of the game. He’s always looking to take it to the house and is dangerous when he gets his hands on the rock.

Displays pretty good hands on both sides of the ball and does a good job of high pointing the football.

Can produce the big hit with the best of them, but also does a good job of putting his chest on ball carriers and wrapping up.

Displays good range from the middle of the field to both sidelines.

Shows a nose for the end zone in all three phases of the game. He’s relentless in his pursuit of the end zone.

Very versatile player that has been featured at several positions over the past couple of years including running back.

Plays the game hard, fast, and looks to always be competing no matter what position he is playing.

Cons:

His tape was a lot of fun to watch, but some of the plays he made reminded me of DeShon Elliott, in which he just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

The competition he plays against doesn’t seem to be the best, which may lead to his stats being a tad inflated. Is he a big fish in a small pound?

There were times where he was caught peeking in the backfield and he started flowing the wrong direction. Needs to become more disciplined with his eyes.

Unsure if his ability as a return man will translate to the next level.

Summary

When you turn on the film, the first thing that stands out about Adimora is his ability to make plays. He has a nose for the ball and puts himself in position to produce turnovers. Unlike some guys who are being recruited as safeties but have most of their experience at corner, Adimora exclusively played safety on defense throughout high school, meaning he has a great understanding of his responsibilities and where to be on the field. He projects to be a reliable tackler who also has the ability to light people up who come across the middle of the field. The 4.71 40-time listed is not a concern, as he showed no problems being able to cover sideline to sideline and plays faster than that on tape.As mentioned in the cons, there are some questions about the level of competition in some of his highlights. Regardless, the skills and traits he displays scream productivity at the college level, which makes his high school competition a very minor concern.

Final Verdict

When Tom Herman got to Texas, he said he would not limit himself to just the borders of the state to find talent. The 2019 class supports that sentiment wholeheartedly. 5 of the 11 verbal commitments Texas has are from out-of-state players. Adimora and Floyd in particular could help Texas develop a nice pipeline to California in future classes. It doesn’t hurt that the duo can continue to work on 5-star ATH Bru McCoy, who plays at California powerhouse Mater Dei.

The current talent in the defensive backs already on campus should afford Adimora a redshirt year, but he should squarely be in the mix for playing time by 2020. After the 2018 defensive back haul, Tom Herman and Craig Naivar have to be thrilled to add another talented player to the safety room.