Some of you may know, others may not, but I am the analyst now over the state of Florida to go with Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. I took over the role in Florida in October, so my focus has been on 2022 and beyond more than 2021, but with that said, one of the first schools I stopped at when I made my first visit to Florida in October was Gadsden County. That is home to DE Darrell Jackson, the 2021 DE that flipped late from Tennessee.
I have also gotten to see LB Terrence Lewis and new 2022 commit Lionell Whitaker play since I took over, and just wanted to offer some thoughts on each.
THOUGHTS: What I like most about Jackson is his upside. He has only been playing football for a couple of years, and with his size and athleticism, there is a lot for the Maryland staff to work with. He is still extremely raw, and he will need time to develop, but he is a big kid who can move. He is listed at 255 pounds, and when I was there his coaches told me he was closer to 265 pounds, but he looked around 240 pounds. He has a big frame, he has long arms, and he has a chance to be a steal in this class. When he makes plays now, it is more off raw ability and size, so when he arrives in College Park, he will need to work on technique, fundamentals, counter-moves, hand usage and things like that to really make that move in the Big Ten.
THOUGHTS: I had the chance to see Lewis play in the state championship game. I not only got to see him play, but I was able to speak some with Lewis before and after the games — I was impressed on that side. Off the field, I have heard things, and of course you have expectations, but Lewis was impressive when we spoke. I liked his answers to my questions, I like the conversations we had, and I think he is a better kid than the rep he has. Again, I do not know him that well, and I have only been covering him for a short time, but as a person, I liked what I saw. Back to the football player side of things... He is one of the most athletic linebackers in this class. He can run and he can move in space. I was down on the sideline, so I got an up-close view of Lewis, and I loved his passion, the leadership he provided the linebacker group and how much he cared about his and his performance on that stage. He delivered a couple of nice hits, but he the passion and leadership stood out to me most. If he gets to Maryland, buys in to Locksley's culture and does what is asked, I see no reason Lewis shouldn't at least be an All Big Ten performer down the road.
THOUGHTS: I saw Whitaker play twice this season... Once is a big rival game in October against Godby, then in the state championship against American Heritage. They won the first one, then fell in the championship game. We have Whitaker listed as an athlete, and he is that, but is likely going to be moved to cornerback at some point in the future. He also could project at the STAR position due to his size, athleticism and skill-set. He is a tough-minded defensive back that plays aggressive and is does not shy away from contact. In the games I covered, he was not too involved, which is good when you play his position, because the ball was not thrown his way too often. He did get beat once against a bigger receiver, but that will happen. I like his quickness, ball skills, versatility and confidence most.
I have also gotten to see LB Terrence Lewis and new 2022 commit Lionell Whitaker play since I took over, and just wanted to offer some thoughts on each.
THOUGHTS: What I like most about Jackson is his upside. He has only been playing football for a couple of years, and with his size and athleticism, there is a lot for the Maryland staff to work with. He is still extremely raw, and he will need time to develop, but he is a big kid who can move. He is listed at 255 pounds, and when I was there his coaches told me he was closer to 265 pounds, but he looked around 240 pounds. He has a big frame, he has long arms, and he has a chance to be a steal in this class. When he makes plays now, it is more off raw ability and size, so when he arrives in College Park, he will need to work on technique, fundamentals, counter-moves, hand usage and things like that to really make that move in the Big Ten.
THOUGHTS: I had the chance to see Lewis play in the state championship game. I not only got to see him play, but I was able to speak some with Lewis before and after the games — I was impressed on that side. Off the field, I have heard things, and of course you have expectations, but Lewis was impressive when we spoke. I liked his answers to my questions, I like the conversations we had, and I think he is a better kid than the rep he has. Again, I do not know him that well, and I have only been covering him for a short time, but as a person, I liked what I saw. Back to the football player side of things... He is one of the most athletic linebackers in this class. He can run and he can move in space. I was down on the sideline, so I got an up-close view of Lewis, and I loved his passion, the leadership he provided the linebacker group and how much he cared about his and his performance on that stage. He delivered a couple of nice hits, but he the passion and leadership stood out to me most. If he gets to Maryland, buys in to Locksley's culture and does what is asked, I see no reason Lewis shouldn't at least be an All Big Ten performer down the road.
THOUGHTS: I saw Whitaker play twice this season... Once is a big rival game in October against Godby, then in the state championship against American Heritage. They won the first one, then fell in the championship game. We have Whitaker listed as an athlete, and he is that, but is likely going to be moved to cornerback at some point in the future. He also could project at the STAR position due to his size, athleticism and skill-set. He is a tough-minded defensive back that plays aggressive and is does not shy away from contact. In the games I covered, he was not too involved, which is good when you play his position, because the ball was not thrown his way too often. He did get beat once against a bigger receiver, but that will happen. I like his quickness, ball skills, versatility and confidence most.
