Notes:
Prepped in North Carolina, where he tallied 219 tackles as a senior. Suffered a knee injury in his final prep game which forced him to redshirt in 2008. Saw action in all 12 games, making three starts at weak-side linebacker, and recording 42 tackles, 2 1⁄2 tackles for loss and zero sacks with one pass breakup, one interception and two forced fumbles in ’09. Was the starter at WLB in all 13 games in ’10 and posted 75-10 1⁄2-4 1⁄2 with three pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one interception. Led the ACC in tackles for loss in ’11 after posting 76-14 1⁄2-5 1⁄2 with five pass breakups, three interceptions and four forced fumbles in 11 starts at WLB. Suffered a knee injury against South Alabama, which required surgery, and he missed the next two games.
Positives:
Instinctive (reliable trigger). Athletic movement skills. Bends naturally. Attacks downhill and can scrape and fill. Flashes explosive striking ability. Good zone awareness and ball reactions. Plays hard. Has pass-rush/blitz ability — occasionally lined up as a rush end and shows coordinated hands/feet and agility. Solid special-teams ability.
Negatives:
Lacks ideal bulk. Too easily engaged, squared up and eliminated by linemen. Does not shoot his hands or detach quickly. Average speed — can be a step late to the perimeter and lacks finishing burst. Shows some hip tightness when he has to break down or quickly adjust. Overruns and slides off some tackles. Had incurred multiple knee injuries and durability could be an issue.
Summary:
A good-sized, weak-side linebacker who would have benefitted from another year of development, but declared with family considerations in mind. Is most ideally suited for a backup role in a 4-3 but has fine instincts and athletic ability and should help readily on special teams.
