Notre Dame Signs Wide Receiver Tobias Merriweather
Notre Dame has signed 2022 Washington wide receiver Tobias Merriweather.
TOBIAS MERRIWEATHER PROFILE
Hometown: Vancouver, Wash.
High School: Union
Height: 6-4
Weight: 185
2021 Stats: 31 catches, 478 yards (15.4 YPC), 3 TD
Career Stats: 107 catches, 1,689 yards (15.8 YPC), 13 TD
IB Grade: 4.5 (Top 50 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 5.0
Offers: Notre Dame, USC, Michigan, Oregon, UCLA, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, Stanford, Nebraska, Washington State, California, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon State
Recruited By: Del Alexander, Tommy Rees
Player Comp: Tee Higgins, Clemson
RECRUITING RANKINGS
SI99: No. 47 overall - No. 4 wide receiver
247Sports: 4-star - No. 79 overall - No. 14 wide receiver
Rivals: 4-star - No. 133 overall - No. 21 wide receiver
ESPN: 4-star - No. 185 overall - No. 26 wide receiver
On3: 4-star - No. 218 overall - No. 33 wide receiver
Composite: 4-star - No. 121 overall - No. 18 wide receiver
STRENGTHS
Merriweather is a dynamic player with a great all-around game. His length is the first thing you notice. He's tall, very long and thin, and Merriweather knows how to use that length to his advantage. He has freakishly long limbs, which he uses effectively to cover a lot of ground (legs) and to out-play defenders for the football (arms). Merriweather also has outstanding body control, which enhances his already outstanding ball skills.
Merriweather spent a good amount of time in the slot as a senior, and I was impressed by his toughness over the middle. He is more than willing to take a hit and his feel for getting open against zone defenses is impressive. It's outside, however, where Merriweather has the most potential. His ability to get downfield, his top notch ball skills, his strong hands and his all-around athletic package make him a dangerous perimeter weapon.
The Union star has always displayed the ability to make plays after the catch, which Notre Dame can use in the screen game, but it's also a part of his game that fits the quick game that is such a big part of the RPO and play-action game.
Merriweather has an advanced feel as a route runner. He shows excellent quickness and moves off the line, and he hides his chest from defenders. His foot quickness and ability to manipulate defenders helps him get clean releases, and Merriweather does a great job using his long strides to get past the corners and he shows a great feel for stacking defenders. With his size, ball skills and vertical speed when he stacks a cornerback it's basically over for the defense.
Merriweather knows how to manipulate defenders with his release and stem, he's quick getting in and out of cuts, and when he keeps a good base he's able to quickly get out of out/corner cuts, which gets him good separation.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
Merriweather has better speed than he shows off the line. His stance needs to be improved and he needs to come off the line with a greater sense of urgency when he's outside. When Merriweather turns it loose you can see he can really cover a lot of ground. Now he needs to learn to use that speed more effectively.
The Union standout wasn't quite as sharp as a route runner during his senior season, so I'd like to see him clean that part of his game up and for him to get back to being the advanced route runner he showed himself to be as a junior. The tools are there, as I broke down above, but consistency will be the key.
At 6-4 and 185 pounds, Merriweather is still on the skinny side and he needs to get stronger. He's competitive and not afraid to to take and give a blow, but he'll need to become quite friendly with Matt Balis and the strength staff. Once he starts adding that to his game, look out!
NOTRE DAME FIT
Merriweather can play all over in the Notre Dame offense. He has the length and vertical ability to play the boundary, where his ability to win contested throws would thrive. He would also get plenty of chances to make throws in the quick game, and he can do damage after that.
Early in his career I could easily see Merriweather playing to the field, both as an outside guy (his best position right now) and he can do some work in the slot. He's a smart player but his ability to do damage after the catch combines quite well with his advanced route running and vertical ability to make him quite dangerous as an outside field receiver.
Think about what we saw from Chase Claypool in 2018 from a role standpoint, although their games are different. Merriweather has the kind of playmaking ability that Notre Dame needs to find a way to get on the field immediately. The great part about his game is that his versatility, and the versatility of Lorenzo Styles, means Merriweather, Styles and Deion Colzie can all be on the field together.
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