Recruiting Profile: Miami Commitment Demetrius Freeney
The Miami Hurricanes have been adjusting their cornerback room so that it has several talented players to push for playing time and add valuable depth.
For the class of 2023, however, it was thought to be done. Well, that was not quite the case. Mario Cristobal and the Canes added a talented cornerback from the junior college ranks with Demetrius Freeney, a former high school quarterback that transitioned to cornerback and became a big-time target of several Power 5 college football programs. He will have four years to play three after being out of high school for one season.
Size: 6-foot-1, 185 pounds
Position: Cornerback
Schools: San Leandro (Calif.) High School and San Mateo (Calif.) College of San Mateo
Recruiting
Freeney was offered by and officially visited Colorado (May 20), Oklahoma (May 24), Houston (May 30) and then Miami (June 2). Freeney went public with his commitment to the Hurricanes on June 8. He also earned scholarships from programs like Louisville, California, Fresno State and Indiana.
Frame
After watching his film, to say that Freeney fit the profile of what a college coach would want with height and length would be an understatement. He has the requisite arm length, in particular, that will enable him to be a nuisance with wide receivers for years to come.
He’s also stronger than many cornerbacks that were one year removed from high school. Freeney’s upper legs were developed much better than many other prospects at his height.
Athleticism
Changed directions well by placing a foot in the ground and immediately moving towards a wide receiver or ball carrier. Good knee bend; stayed low with his backpedal. Broke on the ball like a much smaller player would.
Remember, he’s 185 pounds. Provided a natural running motion. Freeney was offered by Air Force out of high school, and that was to play option quarterback. It was easy to see why with Freeney’s all-around attributes.
Timing and Feel for Football
Showed that he had already learned how to utilize the side straddle technique, and it will be helpful for when Freeney plays a bail technique and/or a coverage like cover 3. Likes to get his hands on opposing wide receivers and move them off their intended routes. Freeney angled wide receivers into the sideline to limit the area a quarterback could throw the football.
Physicality, Technique and Improving
As noted above, Freeney played a physical and aggressive style of football. That’s fine, but he will need to be careful about when he places his hands on receivers moving forward. That’s part of the maturation process of being a cornerback, however.
The rules of football strongly favor wide receivers, i.e. pass interference calls. He often used his hands well beyond five yards of the line of scrimmage.
Still, for being a full-time cornerback for just one season (he played some defensive back in high school but focused on quarterback), Freeney seemed to be quite comfortable.
Once Freeney becomes more accustomed to recognizing formations, situations, and how to best utilize his natural size, he can become a tremendous Power 5 cornerback. That also leads to the next category, and it could be a huge bonus for the Hurricanes.
Position Flexibility
There could be multiple spots for Freeney. Let’s look at each of the four options.
When messaging with Freeney, he indicated that he would likely play boundary cornerback (at least to start his Miami career). That answer fit the style of play that was seen on film.
The boundary position generally goes to a player that’s capable of taking on bigger, more powerful wide receivers. Boundary cornerbacks often end up on the proverbial “island” as it has often been called, one-on-one with that big receiver, too.
That’s no easy task and it’s also why cornerback talent like Freeney will be what college coaches always covet. The other 10 players can do their jobs and that boundary cornerback gets beat, it’s often a touchdown. That’s rough for a defense – and also the reality of football – during the modern spread offensive era.
With Freeney’s natural athleticism and length, however, he could certainly play the field cornerback spot as well. It tends to get more help over the top from a safety. Also important to note, that particular cornerback position often goes against more twitchy and speedy wide receivers. In time, Freeney will likely get his shot to play field cornerback as well. The next spot will be the most intriguing.
As it’s commonly discussed here at All Hurricanes, the nickel position could be the most difficult to man for any given defensive coordinator. On one play it’s a 260-pound tight end in the slot, and the next play it’s a jitterbug slot receiver that’s 155 pounds. Worse, it can be the exact same group of players on the field for the offense for each of those two plays.
There’s simply no way for an opposing defensive coordinator to know how to prepare, play to play. That’s why an all-around talent like Freeney can be of value.
With his physical nature, he can take on the block of that big tight end during a screen or run play better than most defensive backs, and he’s also athletic enough to compete with smaller slot receivers. That kind of value should be considered rare. It will be interesting to see if he gets reps at nickel in 2023 or beyond. Finally, his size poses another possible position.
What about free safety?
Freeney’s background as a quarterback led to the notion that he can handle directing a defense much like he directed offenses during his prep days. The athleticism has been apparent. It’s not necessarily a need for him to play free safety, but it’s a possibility to keep in mind.
Overall, Miami landed a unique player that can help improve the cornerback depth chart and should one day be a starter for the Hurricanes. Congratulations to Freeney for joining the Miami Hurricanes football family!
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