Highlights & Evaluation: Louisville WR Commit Gavin Waddell

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Make that back-to-back wide receiver commitments for the Louisville football program, as Gavin Waddell has given his verbal pledge to the Cardinals.

Here is Louisville Cardinals On SI's full evaluation:

Prospect: Gavin Waddell
Position: Wide Receiver
Measurables: 6-foot-1, 175 pounds
School: Rolesville (N.C.) HS
Top Offers: App State, Coastal Carolina, Miami, Maryland, UConn
247Sports Composite Rating (Nat'l Rank): N/A

Gavin Waddell's Junior Year Highlights: HERE (Hudl)

Frame: Given his height/weight combination, Waddell is a little bit on the skinny side. However, he does have some good wiry muscle tone packed on right now, and should be able to add a decent amount of weight. He also has a well above average wingspan.

Athleticism: Waddell has fantastic long stride open field speed, and it's without a doubt his top athletic trait. He's also got a pretty good first step, although his footwork overall is good but a touch inconsistent. Also demonstrates good play strength and a great vertical.

Instincts: Some of Waddell's best work comes on go routes and other deep routes. He's got a great release off of the line of scrimmage, uses his long stride to his advantage on a regular basis, and is very good at using both his vertical and wingspan to high point the ball where nobody else can get it. He absolutely shines whenever defenders are sitting back in zone coverage, but Waddell also does a solid at beating the press, using his initial burst to help him gain leverage. While his best work comes from simply outrunning defensive backs, Waddell has also flashed the ability to make quick cuts on in and out routes, just not consistently enough. Whenever he does run a shorter route such as a slant or a screen, he does a solid job at reading blocks downfield.

Polish: Waddell primarily lines up in the slot, but also took his fair share of snaps on the outside as well. On deep shots, he regularly demonstrates great body control and concentrations overall, whether he's having to contort his body to make a tough catch or come down with it in heavy traffic. While his route running footwork is hit-or-miss at times, he actually does a great job at staying in bounds on sideline catches. He's got underrated physicality in terms of withstanding would-be tacklers, and is actually a little slippery in this regard for someone of his height. Waddell also has a decent route tree for someone who's primarily a deep threat.

Bottom Line: Overall, while Waddell might not garner the most headlines in Louisville's class so far, this is actually a really solid pickup. He's got a good collections of traits in terms of his athleticism and on-field capabilities, he just needs to refine them all. He could be a sleeper for a good amount of playing time by year two.

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