Five Play Prospect: Gators CB Avery Helm Scouting Report

When it comes to the Gators' 2020 recruiting class, it's a tale as old as time.

Florida prioritized adding length in the class, especially at outside cornerback. That story is no different with Avery Helm, the subject of today's "Five Play Prospect" scouting report.

The Fort Bend Marshall (Missouri City, TX) product, who stands at 6-2, 170 lbs., committed to Florida prior to his senior year and stuck with his pledge, as he signed early on December 18th.

The 247Sports Composite rankings consider Helm as the No. 23 cornerback in the 2020 signing class. In Helm, the Gators are inheriting a natural man coverage cornerback who plays physical in coverage and utilizes his length to cause disruption in the passing game.

Film Room

Length to play the ball

Much like Jahari Rogers and Ethan Pouncey, Helm's fellow outside cornerbacks in Florida's 2020 signing class, Helm carries long arms that serve him well when he is being targeted in coverage. Helm broke up 18 passes during his senior season.

Even though Helm allows his receiver to gain a step on him outside, Helm recovers well enough to be within arms distance of where the ball is going. In the end, Helm's length saved what could have been a touchdown. We'll discuss more on how he can prevent getting beat later on.

This interception is just ridiculous.

Helm goes up and gets it at the highest point, with only one hand to pluck the ball out of the air.

He does a good job of staying even with the receiver from the outside as the route gets deeper, and undercuts the ball in a contested situation to go up and make a spectacular play. And Helm makes it look easy - you can't teach those ball-skills.

Jamming

Jamming is a key aspect of physical man coverage, in which Helm predicates his game on.

Helm doesn't press his receiver at the line on this clip, or much throughout his tape in general, but those techniques will be taught. Though, Helm is aware of and often utilizes his five yard window from the line of scrimmage to get his hands on the receiver, and jams him before he can move back inside on a slant route.

That jam is enough to slow the receivers route break, which knocks the route off of its timing with the quarterback. Winning his jam, Helm remains in prime position to play this ball, and he comes up with another PBU.

This clip is similar to the one above. Helm is playing man coverage near the boundary once again and faces another slant route.

Only this time, he gets beat at the route break, despite jamming. This is why adding strength will be crucial for Helm's game. The wide receiver can combat a jam in that five yard window as well, and Helm's receiver on this play does just that, knocking Helm off balance as he breaks into the slant.

Helm has the closing speed and burst to recover, and the play still ends positively with another pass breakup. That recovery speed will serve Helm well, but he has to get stronger before being able to consistently jam SEC receivers.

Run stop

Given his frame and the need to add some bulk, Helm is far from a perfect tackler or run defender. However, he is willing, which is a good foundation. Again, strength and technique can be added.

Here, though, Helm does a good job of reading out the QB Draw to his side, putting his eyes in the backfield as soon as the receiver makes a move to block.

Helm proceeds to move downhill with outside leverage to the run. With the free safety eliminating the gap for the QB to cut up on Helm's left side, Helm sets an edge to make the QB redirect, sheds his block, and makes a stop for a short gain.

Final Thoughts

Helm adds even more length to Florida's long cornerback haul in the 2020 class. He isn't the most athletic or strongest cornerback prospect out there, but he has the fundamentals of press coverage down to play SEC football. He understands the rules of jamming, he knows how to use his length, and he has the closing speed in short areas to take some risks as he continues to add technique.

In Florida's strength and conditioning program, Helm will only get stronger and faster, which should mold Him into a plenty-capable boundary cornerback at the next level.

And that's where Helm's length best profiles. Not only for breaking up passes, but Helm's long arms and stature will benefit him as he gets stronger when pressing receivers, and help him keep in close contact with receivers as he gets taken down the sidelines.