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Story by Mike Roach, HornSports Senior Recruiting Analyst
Versatility at the wide receiver position is key for the new Longhorn offense, and today Texas fans got good news when Southlake (TX) Carroll athlete Lil’Jordan Humphrey committed to the Longhorns. Humphrey announced his decision on a local newscast in Dallas. Humphrey chose Austin over offers from California, Ole Miss, Texas Tech, Washington, and Wisconsin among others.
Humphrey has the most intriguing size paired with skillset in the state. At 6’4 200 lbs., Humphrey lines up all over the formation, but primarily spends his time at running back for the powerhouse Dragons. Humphrey is also gifted at basketball, but throughout the last few seasons he’s been one of the most productive football players in the state. In his junior season, Humphrey rushed for 1800 yards and 29 touchdowns while gathering up 3 touchdowns on 285 yards receiving. This season he’s become a much bigger part of the Carroll passing game, and is definitely their most valuable offensive weapon. Humphrey told us earlier this year that Texas is recruiting him as a receiver, and Humphrey could prove to be a matchup nightmare.
Film Analysis:
Humphrey has a lean frame with long limbs and big hands. As a running back, Humphrey shows good vision and agility with patient feet. He excels in a zone running scheme finding the cutback lanes and exploding through them with good short area burst. He runs a bit high, but that is to be expected for someone of his size. He shows ability to break tackles and pick up yardage where there doesn’t seem to be any. While Humphrey doesn’t show high end speed, he can be a bit deceptive since he’s a gliding long strider who covers a great amount of distance with each step. Humphrey’s best trait is his fluidness as he moves easily in transition between breaks or cuts and is always in control of his body. As a receiver he can line up all over the formation from the “X†position to a tight end like position that is flexed out. Humphrey is a good route runner with the ability to run most of the route tree, but he excels at quick screens, where he can use his short area burst, as well as corner routes and fades where his size is an advantage. His long frame and strong hands coupled with his basketball jumping ability give him a tremendous catch radius. His value increases inside the red zone where his versatility keeps defenders off balance. Humphrey shows a high football IQ, and is part of a high school team renowned for high end execution of a complicated offense. At the next level he will need to add weight to stand up to the rigors of college football and work with the coaching staff to find the best position to succeed in.
Final Verdict:
Humphrey reminds me a lot of former Michigan receiver Devin Funchess who came in at nearly the same size before entering the NFL at 235. While I don’t think he will balloon up quite that much, Humphrey can be utilized in the same way as a mismatch who is too quick for linebackers and too big for defensive backs. Humphrey is currently rated lower because of a lack of high end speed and uncertainty as to what position he might end up at. If the Texas coaching staff can find the spot to best utilize him, he should be able to play early. His athleticism and size suggest a likely career at the professional level, but he will need to distinguish himself and stick at a position.
