Five Play Prospect: Gators CB Fenley Graham Scouting Report
If I had to describe Florida defensive back and special teams signee Fenley Graham in one word, it would be "electric".
The 5-10, 175-pound athlete will be a huge addition to Florida's special teams unit and will also offer depth as a field cornerback. The Lakeland High School standout should prove to be an early contributor to the Gators due to his incredible speed and footwork.
Graham is a freak athlete who has made plays in all three phases of the game, and head coach Dan Mullen will be sure to get the ball in his hands throughout his time at Florida.
Film Room
Ball Skills
To start off, Fenley showcases his incredible vertical to make a play on the ball against 2021 four-star wide receiver Mario Williams. After a bad read from the quarterback, Graham jumps the out route and sets his offense up in the red zone.
Although Graham doesn't project to playing a ton at cornerback or on defense at the next level, he could become a capable SEC defensive back with the right coaching and development. He will at least become a depth piece.
Kickoff Return
If you paid any attention to Florida high school football in 2018, you've surely seen this play.
Here, in the biggest game of Lakeland's Championship season, Graham completely swung the state championship game by returning a kickoff 99 yards to put his team back up two possessions. When you watch the film, it almost looks sped up thanks to Graham's insane breakaway speed.
Plays like this are why Florida went after Graham. The Gators have had athletes on the roster, but have lacked an elite returner on special teams for a while now. The team expects Graham to change that.
Punt Return
Graham can get it done on both punts and kickoffs, as here he returns a punt over 90 yards for a touchdown.
The speedster makes people miss with ease, making returns look effortless as he cuts through return teams across the state. Graham is an expert at finding the right lanes to cut through, and he lets his speed and elite acceleration do to the rest.
Yet again, Graham shows his excellence in the return game, this time on a more conventional punt return.
Graham fields the punt in the face of some pressure, which he quickly gets himself out of by catching a few blocks, only to finish the play with his pure track speed. That early elusiveness is similar to Kadarius Toney's joystick skill-set, however, Graham is a bit more decisive and mature in his cuts and elusive moves.
Wildcat
After taking snaps on defense and on special teams, Lakeland High School head coach Bill Castle started using Graham in the Wildcat offense.
To say the least, Graham did not disappoint. In the Wildcat, Graham made plays by bouncing off defenders on the way to the end zone. Graham's effort is evident as he keeps his feet moving to break free from the defense to score.
You have to wonder if the Gators plan to use Graham within the offense at some point. Graham certainly has the ability to be a contributor on offense, especially in the wildcat and even in the slot, but the team will first prioritize using him on special teams.
Conclusion
Simply put, watching Fenley Graham is jaw-dropping. His return stats are also nothing short of impressive.
Throughout his three years at Lakeland (36 games), Graham only returned 23 kickoffs, but still racked up 920 return yards, which comes out to an average at 40 yards a return. He also added three touchdowns on kickoffs throughout his high school career.
His punt returns were more common, as the Lakeland star returned 40 punts for 766 yards, with an average of 19.2 yards a return (two of these attempts were fair catches). Graham returned two punts for touchdowns, which both came in his senior season.
Graham has shocking speed and acceleration which he uses along with his great vision and ball skills. All these trails will aid Graham in winning the job for Florida's return specialist in 2020, and as long as he can earn the trust of the coaches, there is no way he'll be sitting on the sideline for long.
