Daniel Seahorn
On the 40
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https://twitter.com/hornsports/status/871523890220093440
The linebacker position has been one of the more frequently discussed positions lately for a multitude of reasons. With Todd Orlando arriving in Austin and deploying a new defensive philosophy, some of the current linebackers on campus have had to embrace new roles this spring. Malik Jefferson has been the topic of conversation since the moment he arrived on campus, and many have wondered if he would be better suited on the outside, rather than at inside linebacker.
Most recently, former Texas signee Erick Fowler made the decision to the leave the program, which came to the surprise of some and not so much for others. Fowler’s departure thins out a position that already lacked a multitude of bodies as is and made addressing the position the cycle even more important.
The in-state crop of linebackers is not abundant with talent, so it has been no surprise the staff has been recruiting nationally looking for talent. St. Louis was an area where we saw several offers go out to blue chip prospects earlier this spring and on the receiving end of one of those offers was Ayodele Adeoye.
Adeoye and Texas flirted with each other for a bit before the staff finally extended an offer his way, which prompted a visit to Austin by the blue chip linebacker. Adeoye must have really liked what he saw during his time in Austin, because before he got back on that plane to St. Louis he gave his verbal pledge to Tom Herman and the Longhorns.
Film Analysis
This kid looks like he was made to play inside the box as linebacker. At 6’2, 231, he is a thick bodied kid who is well put together and looks like he spends plenty of time in weight room already. On film, my main takeaway for him is the way he gets downhill and knocks the hell out of ball carriers. He’s the kind of guy you are going to want to make sure your chinstrap is buckled when you go near him, because he is a classic knock back tackler and isn’t scared to thump you. In the same vein in regards to his tackling, I would like to see him improve as a form tackler, as he seems to go for the big hit more times than none and needs to improve on wrapping up and driving his feet on contact instead of hoping for guys to just fall. He looks like a player that has better field speed than testing speed, because he didn’t test incredibly well this spring.
As a linebacker in the Big 12, you are going to have to be comfortable going backwards in coverage and there wasn’t much of that on his cutups, so that part of his game is a bit of a question mark and something I will be looking for on his senior tape. This is something I’m sure has been vetted by Todd Orlando and his defensive staff, but it’s something I can’t really project until I see it for myself.
Final Verdict
Plain and simple, Texas needed to find some linebackers this cycle and they are off to a good start by landing Adeoye. With quality linebackers in short supply in the state of Texas, Tom Herman and his staff being able to dip into the “Show-Me†state and snag a Top 250 talent like Adeoye speaks volumes about their recruiting efforts right now. Not only are they making noise within the state, but they have now on several occasions wrangled elite talent that resides outside the state’s borders.
Herman’s staff continues to impress on the recruiting trail, and like I’ve said before… the summer is just getting started.
The linebacker position has been one of the more frequently discussed positions lately for a multitude of reasons. With Todd Orlando arriving in Austin and deploying a new defensive philosophy, some of the current linebackers on campus have had to embrace new roles this spring. Malik Jefferson has been the topic of conversation since the moment he arrived on campus, and many have wondered if he would be better suited on the outside, rather than at inside linebacker.
Most recently, former Texas signee Erick Fowler made the decision to the leave the program, which came to the surprise of some and not so much for others. Fowler’s departure thins out a position that already lacked a multitude of bodies as is and made addressing the position the cycle even more important.
The in-state crop of linebackers is not abundant with talent, so it has been no surprise the staff has been recruiting nationally looking for talent. St. Louis was an area where we saw several offers go out to blue chip prospects earlier this spring and on the receiving end of one of those offers was Ayodele Adeoye.
Adeoye and Texas flirted with each other for a bit before the staff finally extended an offer his way, which prompted a visit to Austin by the blue chip linebacker. Adeoye must have really liked what he saw during his time in Austin, because before he got back on that plane to St. Louis he gave his verbal pledge to Tom Herman and the Longhorns.
Film Analysis
This kid looks like he was made to play inside the box as linebacker. At 6’2, 231, he is a thick bodied kid who is well put together and looks like he spends plenty of time in weight room already. On film, my main takeaway for him is the way he gets downhill and knocks the hell out of ball carriers. He’s the kind of guy you are going to want to make sure your chinstrap is buckled when you go near him, because he is a classic knock back tackler and isn’t scared to thump you. In the same vein in regards to his tackling, I would like to see him improve as a form tackler, as he seems to go for the big hit more times than none and needs to improve on wrapping up and driving his feet on contact instead of hoping for guys to just fall. He looks like a player that has better field speed than testing speed, because he didn’t test incredibly well this spring.
As a linebacker in the Big 12, you are going to have to be comfortable going backwards in coverage and there wasn’t much of that on his cutups, so that part of his game is a bit of a question mark and something I will be looking for on his senior tape. This is something I’m sure has been vetted by Todd Orlando and his defensive staff, but it’s something I can’t really project until I see it for myself.
Final Verdict
Plain and simple, Texas needed to find some linebackers this cycle and they are off to a good start by landing Adeoye. With quality linebackers in short supply in the state of Texas, Tom Herman and his staff being able to dip into the “Show-Me†state and snag a Top 250 talent like Adeoye speaks volumes about their recruiting efforts right now. Not only are they making noise within the state, but they have now on several occasions wrangled elite talent that resides outside the state’s borders.
Herman’s staff continues to impress on the recruiting trail, and like I’ve said before… the summer is just getting started.
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