Michigan Target Film Study: Ceyair Wright
Though Michigan is one of the more recent offers for 2021 Los Angeles (Calif.) Loyola four-star athlete Ceyair Wright, the Wolverines may have a real shot to land the high-end prospect later in the cycle.
Wright, who sports offers from the likes of Oregon, USC, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Stanford, is a player that by all accounts values the official visit process, so he is likely to wait until the dead period ends, take some trips out to his top schools and decide from there. Before that time comes, U-M cornerbacks coach Mike Zordich has an opportunity to preview Wright's role in the Michigan defense, and it should be easy to paint a picture where Wright is an impact player for the Wolverines.
Standing at 6-1 and 175 pounds, Wright has good length to play outside cornerback, and his physical tools are a perfect match for the position. Though Wright has straight-line speed as a track standout at Loyola, the nation's No. 3 cornerback also boasts a really well refined fundamental component to his game.
While backing up in coverage, Wright has a fluid backpedal and can change directions at the drop of a hat. When doing so, Wright shows good hips that he can flip, plant and then explode in a different direction with ease. These qualities will help Wright stay in lockstep with receivers that run routes with multiple breaks downfield.
From a ball skills standpoint, Wright is more than adept at picking off passes in the secondary. One aspect that some young defensive backs struggle with is locating the ball in the air and adjusting but not Wright, who often sticks his hands up to disrupt passes and stymie his opponents. He has good timing and can be a real dangerous return man when he gets his hands on the football.
That said, Wright also chips in on special teams in the return game and has the speed, tackle breaking ability and vision to go the distance. Given his natural ability to make plays with the football, Wright will likely be given an opportunity to make a difference on special teams in addition to his cornerback pursuits.
If those traits were not enough, Wright moonlights as a receiver for Loyola, and he put together several impressive highlights on offense too. His speed and hands particularly shine in this role, but it is overwhelmingly likely that he will factor in as a cornerback at the collegiate level.
At 175 pounds, Wright could serve to tack on a bit more weight, but he is still entering his senior campaign and has not yet worked out under a college strength and conditioning program, so that is not much of a concern at this time. In fact, it is a fairly common criticism of defensive backs at this stage in their development. But with a little bit of time in the weight room and following a dietary plan and Wright could perform at an All-Big Ten level if he were to choose Michigan down the line.
What do you think of Ceyair Wright's game? Which element of his tape stands out the most to you? Is he a year one or year two starter at Michigan? Let us know!
