Notre Dame Makes Final Four For Andrel Anthony Jr.
Notre Dame has made the final four for one of the best athletes in the Midwest, with East Lansing (Mich.) High School standout Andrel Anthony Jr. placing the Irish among his finalists.
Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan and Michigan State made up Anthony's final four.
The 6-2, 175-pound receiver hauled in 54 passes for 954 yards (17.7 YPC) and nine touchdowns as a junior, and 33 passes for 543 yards (16.5 YPC) and seven touchdowns as a sophomore.
Anthony is a long and skinny athlete that might not blow you away with speed, but he's highly skilled, athletic and has the kind of frame and game that leads me to believe his speed at the next level will see a bigger jump than most players.
He's a savvy, smart and instinctive pass catcher, showing the ability to use technique to his advantage as a route runner. Anthony shows good ball skills and a willingness to mix it up when the ball is in the air.
When you combine his receiver skill with quick feet, fluid hips and good leaping ability you have the makings of a wide receiver that could become a possession receiver based on his current skill set. If Anthony's speed makes the kind of jump I believe it will, his all-around game will become more dynamic, and his projection will take a major leap forward.
Anthony doesn't play much defense, but I believe his body type and athleticism would fit in extremely well at corner. He's also a smart football player, and I think he would pick defense up quickly. Notre Dame isn't recruiting him to play defense, but the fact he could play that position if need be only adds to my high opinion of Anthony as a prospect.
It remains to be seen just how high Anthony is on Notre Dame's priority list, and where Notre Dame ranks among his top four, but Anthony is quite familiar with the Irish program. He camped in South Bend last summer and was one of the better receivers and athletes in attendance.
His foot quickness and body control stood out to me throughout the workout.
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