Highlights & Evaluation: Louisville LB Commit Josiah Pouncy

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - One of the most productive prospects in the Buckeye State is coming to the Bluegrass State, as Josiah Pouncy has given his verbal pledge to play for the Louisville football program.

Here is Louisville Cardinals On SI's full evaluation:

Prospect: Josiah Pouncy
Position: Linebacker/Wide Receiver
Measurables: 6-foot-2, 207 pounds
School: Cincinnati (Oh.) Taft
Top Offers: Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Pitt, Tennessee
247Sports Composite Rating (Nat'l Rank): N/A

Josiah Pouncy's Junior Year Highlights: HERE (Hudl)

Frame: Pouncy has a good base frame, sporting above average positional height and a plus wingspan to boot. It's a little bit wiry in terms of pure weight, but that's not a bad things, as there is a lot of room to add more pure muscle mass.

Athleticism: Given that his bench press PR is 250, Pouncy's overall strength is much, much higher than you would expect given his current frame. He couples that with pretty good open field speed and north-south foot work as well. Lateral quickness is about average - not great, not terrible.

Instincts: It's clear from his tape that Pouncy's best work comes against the run, especially on blitz packages. He has phenomenal timing when it comes to shooting the gap as soon as the ball is snapped, and also has good closing speed on top of it. He also does a good job at reading and reacting to what gap the running back is taking, and usually makes the right diagnosis. It also helps that he can play sideline-to-sideline, taking good pursuit angles if the ballcarrier bounces it out to the boundary. Regardless of his exact assignment, Pouncy is one of those "has a nose for the football" types, and almost always makes a play on the ball when in close proximity to it.

Polish: While technically a two-way player. as he also plays wide receiver for Taft, he will most certainly be an inside linebacker at the next level. One reason why Pouncy is such a prolific playmaker is because he does an exceptional job at playing through contact and shedding blocks to make a play, and isn't afraid at all to get physical. He's also got a high motor and is a very hard hitter. Where he has plenty of room to grow is in pass coverage. While he had limited coverage reps on his tape, he did showcase some to be desired here due to average lateral movement.

Bottom Line: Overall, this is a great pickup for Louisville. Sure, Pouncy will have to take some strides forward when sitting on coverage, but he is a menace when it comes to playing against the run. Add some weight to his frame, and he could be an early playing time contender.

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