Week 1 Sunday Scouting Notes

Darren Page

Neither game was particularly close, but a few scouting nuggets were mined regardless. These notes come from both Sunday games Utah State vs. Tennessee and SMU vs. Baylor.

Utah State @ Tennessee

Chuckie Keeton, QB, Utah State – #16 – 6’2” 200 lb

• First game back from a torn ACL suffered in October 2013
• Migrates from the pressure and gets ball out on time vs. blitz, may have miscommunication w/ WR as he throws well behind an out route
• Shows maneuverability to get his hips squared around when moving to his left
• Eluding pressure well early, climbs the pocket and bounces outside to get 10 yards
• Throws just behind his WR on a slant on third down, ball certainly catchable
• Comes off a RB screen on a swing pass and works back to TE out route on opposite side of field
• Drives the ball with + velocity on the post but exposes his WR to a big hit from the safety
• Lets an out route sail on him as pressure closes on third and long
• Shows some anticipatory ability to make throws between the hashes, still lets ball placement get away from him just a bit, but balls still catchable
• Multiple accurate throws on the move, especially to his right
• Throws too high on a tunnel screen and doesn’t give WR chance to accelerate up the field
• Drops in a very accurate deep ball to the outside shoulder of his WR on a nine route for a TD
• Sees LB turn his back and assumes the crossing route is there, LB then turns back and jumps the route for an easy INT
• Stat line: 18/35, 144 passing yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions, 12 rushing yards

Wrap: His offensive line and receivers were overwhelmed all game and Chuckie wasn’t particularly overwhelmed at any point. Need to see him operate a more complex gameplan when Utah St can do more offensively. Threw the ball with velocity and was accurate on a few downfield throws. Multiple pinpoint throws on the move, whether to the left or right. Threw two interceptions, only clearly his fault that have to be cut out by deciphering coverage more quickly. Overall ball placement must improve in terms of putting it in the best possible place for his receivers, gave them too much work to do on multiple occasions. Improvement over course of season after return from ACL injury very important.

Kyler Fackrell, OLB, Utah State (rJr.) – #9 6’5” – 245 lb

• Flash of power to dump a RB right into the QB’s lap blitzing from well off the LOS
• Stays put against a read option with a pass option, forces throw and barely tips the ball
• Rush moves mostly indistinct early on, doesn’t show much of a plan
• Goes down with what looks like a minor knee injury in the 2nd Q
• Diagnoses a screen after dropping into coverage and drives on it quickly, + acceleration to close

Wrap: Not enough playing time before leaving with an injury to get enough of a look. Interesting usage. Fackrell mostly stood up and moved all over the field, sometimes over A gap as a blitzer, sometimes on edge, sometimes off the ball as a traditional LB.

Marlin Lane, RB, Tennessee – #15 – 5’11” 209 lb

• Turns his shoulders sideways to throw his shoulder into rusher on first pass block attempt
• Finishes straight dive with power, mostly done through usage of forward momentum
• Starts the game for the Vols but not getting the bulk of the carries or playing time, appears to be the short-yardage specialist for the most part
• Runs with forward lean and natural power as a thicker back, little balance shown to run through tackles
• Heavy feet when he tries to change directions, has to slow his momentum down completely
• Doesn’t have enough leg drive through contact as a runner to drive through tackles and chew up hard-earned yardage
• Makes sharper cuts first outside to follow a down block then inside to elude a linebacker before slipping through and into the endzone for a TD, much better burst out of the cut
• Stat line: 11 carries, 41 rushing yards, 3.7 yards per carry, 1 rushing touchdown, 1 reception, 2 receiving yards

Wrap: Not as productive as hoped for against a weaker front seven. Didn’t show enough explosiveness at all. Sluggish legs in terms of cuts and then hitting top speed through the hole. Disappointed by lack feistiness as a runner to churn through tacklers and win tough yardage. Questionable technique in the few pass blocking attempts he had. Doesn’t look like an NFL athlete at the RB position.

A.J. Johnson, MLB, Tennessee – #45 – 6’2” 245 lb

• First one down the field on the kickoff team and makes the tackle at the 11 yard line, make tackle on the next kickoff as well
• Stuck to his spot trying to sort thru his reads and takes a big shot from an IOL at the 2nd level
• Pursues to the perimeter with sufficient closing speed but tackles up around the neck, borderline horse collar
• Gets spun around in man coverage and can’t close the space on a crossing route, gives up a first down on 3rd and 16
• Poor job disengaging from blocks on multiple occasions, a sitting duck at the 2nd level
• Better job extending hands and dumps the center but sluggish closing to the perimeter and can’t make the play on a sweep
• Locates pulls well and will follow them decisively, just needs to anticipate blocks coming his way
• Jumps a crossing route after turning his back to bait the QB like he was in man coverage and makes a tremendous INT
• Follows eyes of the QB and floats into passing lane of a slant for a pass deflection

Wrap: Made big impact in coverage through two smart plays where he jumped slant routes. Didn’t look a fluid or quick or explosive athlete in space. Sluggish closing on the ball as a run defender. Struggled more than linebackers should with anticipating blockers and extending hands to quickly shed. Looked comfortable enough reading his keys, especially when he read pulls. Ugly tackling technique when he arrived at the football, not a play finisher. Looks like a flash in the pan whose big plays aren’t sustainable. Doesn’t do the little things right to be consistently impactful at the LB position.

SMU @ Baylor

Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor – #14 – 6’3” 230 lb

• Miscommunication with Goodley on post route, WR breaks it off when safety steps up
• Just lets a deep ball get away from him as Goodley comes free over the top
• Gets the right read again on a deep ball and misses well long on third and nine, throws a bullet with no arc to drop it in
• Seems to have a tweak to his oblique or his back, clearly grimaces after many throws
• Poor ball placement trying to throw back shoulder in the endzone, leaves it way too far inside, gets a PI on a DB who doesn’t locate the ball though
• Puts more air under his next deep ball and drops in an accurate throw for 46 yard TD
• Makes a number of throws to the perimeter on packaged plays by reading defense, multiple correct and productive decisions
• Productive on multiple read options in the run game when he keeps, obviously athletic and big
• Has two deep receivers come open after blown coverage and terribly overthrows outside one
• Stat line: 13/23, 161 yards, 2 touchdowns, 21 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown

Wrap: Didn’t show much that difference from his junior season. Sharp with his decision-making and has flashes of anticipation throws on the outside. Ball came out of his hand quick when he identified coverage. Footwork mostly nonchalant and reliant on his strong arm, pre usual. Still spotty deep accuracy, scattering them all over the place. Few tight window throws needed making except for one crossing route which needed to come out sooner. Didn’t learn a lot against an overwhelmed defense.

Antwan Goodley, WR, Baylor – #5 – 5’11” 220 lb

• Breaks off a post route when safety steps up, looks like he made right choice
• Runs right by the CB on a deep route but just gets overthrown by Petty
• Leaves the game early with an injury and never returns

Wrap: Too small of a sample size to learn anything. Still showing deep speed to win over the top after stemming routes with + acceleration.

Shawn Oakman, RE, Baylor – #2 – 6’9” 280 lb

• Explosive on first get-off and overwhelms the LT with sheer power
• Knifing through inside gap of the tackle, utilizing first step quickness and heavy hands
• Fine job keeping his pads down into contact to play with leverage as a rusher
• Swims to the inside of the guard but can’t bend when the QB takes off, does pop right back up after falling and pursues well
• Comes late off the ball but LT is even later, great explosion from Oakman to accelerate around the corner anyways and has an easy sack
• Consistently sliding into his inside gap and swimming the tackle, could afford to keep pads lower
• Looks stiff and rigid in space after he gets past the tackle, troubles shortening stride
• Some heavy-handed punches off the ball and disengages quickly to control his inside gap and wrap up the back in the hole
• Left 1 v. 1 with a back and wastes no time w/ an outside club and overarm move, in on the sack
• Again wins to the inside as a rusher, just way too strong for the LT to recover after Oakman gets a step and he gets another sack
• Never getting locked up in run defense and finds himself on the end of many tackles, also delivering big blows as a hitter

Wrap: Utter dominance and pure excitement. Unblockable on almost a snap-by-snap basis while showing off an impressive motor. Relentless domination against an inferior opponent. Showed versatility in alignment and usage but was most effective head up at 5 technique and pinching inside. Need to evaluate against more adequate competition but his hand usage, gap discipline, raw power and relentless playing style all promising traits. Need to monitor pad level as a run defender against a power run game and technically sound tackle.

Bryce Hager, MLB, Baylor – #44 – 6’2” 235 lb

• Diagnoses a quick screen immediately and knifes thru a block to haul down the back
• Quick to close on a WR screen and punches the ball out as he wraps to make the tackle
• Stops his feet when he steps forward to meet a running QB and can’t get started again to close
• Could be more assertive in run fits after reading run, hops forward into the hole a bit indecisively on multiple occasions
• Cuts down a back in space with a strong tackle, shows a fearless playing style and brings more power than expected
• Not overly impressive closing in open field pursuit, looks like an average athlete overall

Wrap: Impressed by his physicality and technique as a tackler when he arrives at the ball. Hard-nosed player overall. Doesn’t play as fast as he should though, showed issues with decisiveness in his reactions. Quick feet in his spatial movements but doesn’t have significant burst to close. Looks smaller than his listed height on the hoof.