Coaching Breakdown: Deontae Craig

Here's how the 2020 Iowa football commit's high school coach analyzes his game.

Iowa's 2020 football recruiting class brings in yet another solid defensive line group, and it starts with Culver Academies' Deontae Craig.

247 Sports rates Craig as three-star prospect. The site ranks Craig as the second-best 2020 recruit in the state of Indiana and the 21st-best weak-side defensive end in the nation.

Craig had offers from Tennessee, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, among others.

Here's what Culver Academies football coach Andrew Dorrel had to say on the incoming Iowa freshman.

Craig's blend of explosiveness pairs well with quickness

Craig is quick for being listed at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds. He does an excellent job at beating his blocker around the edge, as evident in his tape.

“He’s extremely explosive," Dorrel said. "His first step, quickness is extraordinary, which makes him extremely difficult to block. He’s able to get his hands on blockers and use his quickness and first step to cut the edge and really work to get to the ball carriers and the passer.”

Biggest improvements while at Culver Academies

Deontae Craig makes his commitment official on Dec. 20, 2019.

Deontae Craig Twitter (@CraigDeontae)

Dorrel said that Craig's defensive pursuit grew the most in his time with the program.

“Understanding how to track down ball carriers, pursuit angles, a relentless desire to get to the football," he said.

According to Dorrel, when Craig was younger, he was able to get away with just being a step faster than everyone.

"Now, he’s able to fight through blockers to be able to track down ball carrier on the backside, and his pursuit angles have really improved,” he said.

Deontae Craig (24) drives for a layup against Bloomington South's Connor Hickman (10) in a game last December. (Grace Hollars/Indianapolis Star for USA Today Sports)

Benefits of being a two-sport athlete

Craig also spent time at The Culver Academies on the basketball court.

He averaged 14.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game as a senior. His quickness comes in handy, but it's his competitiveness that stands out the most among both sports, according to his coach.

"He wins," Dorrel said. "The way he fights for rebounds, runs the floor, sees the floor to pass, being unselfish, it really enables him to enhance his competitiveness and hone his ability to be a teammate. You’ll find that he is a very unselfish young man and a team-first guy; he’s willing to do whatever is necessary for the team. It’s not about personal stats. It’s about helping the team be successful. That’s really been developed in his ability to play basketball and football at a high level."

Where does Craig need to improve at Iowa?

'It's going to be his physical strength," Dorrel said. "He’s always been a two-sport athlete, so he has to be able to have a real commitment to the weight room. I think that’s going to be his biggest area of growth when he gets to Iowa and into the strength program. That was one of the appealing factors to him."

 Dorrel will have to put on some weight , but nothing too crazy.

"It looks like he’ll top out around 260," he predicted.

Fitting in at Iowa on the field

Dorrel doesn't see any tough transition in Craig's future with the Hawkeye program.

“I see him being an edge rusher," Dorrel said. "He doesn’t really have the skillset to drop into some sort of zone coverage, but could. I know they do a lot with their front four to put pressure on the passer, and I see him being extremely valuable in how he fits with their scheme. It really does compliment his skillset, what Iowa does on the front four.”

As Dorrel said, Craig will most likely see time along the outside (that's where Iowa sees him, too) but he can play inside if needed.

"We gave him the opportunity to line up where he wanted – inside or outside – and he was highly effective at both," Dorrel said.

Off the field, he'll be just fine as well.

“He is one of the most popular kids on campus, only because of his personality and his genuine smile," Dorrel said. "He is a friend to all... He is not judgmental, values people for who they are, and really is the type of young man that anybody would want to associate with.”

You can follow Adam Hensley on Twitter @A_Hens83.