SI99: A look at Prospects Ranked No. 31-40
SI All-American continues ongoing analysis of the top prospects in the class of 2021 after releasing the SI99 Monday.
[Prospects 1-10, 11-20, 21-30]
31. IOL Donovan Jackson, Bellaire (Texas) Episcopal
6-foot-4, 305 pounds
Committed to Ohio State
An elite prospect in this class regardless of position, Jackson is another Texan who dominates in the offensive trenches. He currently plays left tackle, yet our staff feels he will make a tremendous IOL at the college level. Jackson has great upper-body strength, which allows him to play with ideal explosiveness at the point of attack with his punch. He has heavy mitts and good churn upon contact, which leads him to driving, finishing and burying his targets. Jackson takes great pride in finishing, which quickly became apparent when we began studying him on tape. He has good movement skills for a big man, as he is currently asked to long-pull and wrap into holes a bit in the run game. The Ohio State commit also has the feet to mirror well in pass-protection, along with using his strength to stymie rushers. The Buckeyes are getting a good one.
32. WR Dont'e Thornton, Baltimore (Md.) Mount Saint Joseph
6-foot-5, 185 pounds
Considering Oregon, Notre Dame, Arizona State and Florida State, among others
Hello, production. Thornton hauled in a whopping 26 touchdowns over the last two seasons and it wasn't just the product of great positioning for the big target. He executes to all three levels of the defense and flashes after the catch on a more consistent basis than his frame would suggest. Lower body power is evident in every facet of his game, from prowess off the line of scrimmage to 'my ball' style ball skills over the shoulder, back-shoulder and especially in traffic. There is room for more polish before the catch, particularly with vertical stems and detailed route construction, but the raw tools and elite production are too intriguing to ignore on this list. Thornton is also one of the top tangible leapers in Maryland, with top 10 in-state marks in both the high jump and long jump to his name in 2019.
33. QB Drake Maye, Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park
6-foot-5, 210 pounds
Committed to North Carolina
Blessed with ideal size and plus athleticism, Maye has the potential to blossom into an all-conference starter in college. He can click from reads 1 to 2 quickly with good mental processing, while standing tall in the pocket with a strong lower base. The future Tar Heel has a tight trigger and can push the ball vertically downfield with good placement. Maye can reset when moved off his midline and has the lower-half flexibility to alter his launch points. With his basketball background, he possesses a solid transfer from passer to runner with a good stride and enough quickness to elude threats in his linear track. Maye has the tools to project well as an instinctive distributor in an offensive structure featuring quick-game concepts, which UNC offensive coordinator Phil Longo prefers, while blending in vertical passing concepts.
34. LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Philadelphia (Pa.) St. Joseph's Prep
6-foot, 210 pounds
Committed to Clemson
Perhaps the safest bet among all off-ball prospects in the class of 2021, the NFL legacy has classic tackle-to-tackle traits from a physicality and polish standpoint. Trotter has tone-setting downhill ability from efficiency to block-shedding and especially finishing while on the move. His subtle quickness in small windows affects the timing of his plays in the backfield as well as an occasional pass rusher with great strength, leverage and motor. While most at home versus the run, Trotter has an understanding of the game that enables him to affect the coverage unit as an underneath defender, capable of conservative man coverage skill as well as deeper zone roles with anticipation and timing with the ball in the air. Also a physically impressive prospect from a frame and build standpoint, Trotter has the physical and mental makeup to captain the vaunted Clemson defense before his time in Death Valley is done.
35. S David Daniel, Woodstock (Ga.)
6-foot-2, 185 pounds
Committed to Georgia
Range, ball skills, versatility -- it all fits with the future Georgia Bulldog. Daniel is as comfortable running the alley and making a play with pop as he is retreating and tracking the football through the third level with urgency and purpose. He comes off the hash at 45 degrees more efficiently than one would expect at 6-foot-2 or better with the fluidity to gear down and cut up the grass in screaming downhill as needed. Having grown since his junior season based on offseason evaluations, Daniel could make the case for strongest floor among safety projections nationally. With the savvy and quickness to play as a sub defender or in the box, we don't expect to see him waiting very long to see the field even on a talent rich roster like the one Kirby Smart has assembled in Athens.
36. IDL Masson Smith, Houma (La.) Terrebonne
6-foot-4, 320 pounds
Considering LSU, Alabama, USC
One of the most physically impressive trench prospects at any position, Smith is that rare tackle talent who jumps off the screen with his size, quickness and impact while living in the opposing backfield. He carries 300-plus pounds like nobody's business but offers a strength at the point of attack few offensive linemen could contend with. Through his junior year Smith relied heavily on his raw ability and quick-triggered swim move to counter an elite bull rush, but seems to have expanded with his tool box some as he showed during a dominant run at the Future 50 camp in January (video above). Should the top prospect in Louisiana continue to push for polish, he won't wait long to see the field on Saturdays perhaps as 0-technique in a defense with an odd front with 2-gap principles where he can man both A-gaps.
37. CB Ishmael Ibraheem, Dallas (Texas) Justin F. Kimball
6-foot-1, 175 pounds
Committed to Texas
Readers will see a trend developing on this list. Bigger, physical corners who can play in the boundary and contest vertical threats with leverage and length are at a premium and Ibraheem hits this mark on the head. His zone traits allow for contain and run support while his comfort in bail during man or zone looks enables him to play the sticks with great success. The Texas commitment can drive on the football and flashes closing speed at the catch point along with finishing power. A bit of a gambler, additional polish to the third level -- and man coverage -- will round out his game in Austin, though Ibraheem projects as one of the most aware defensive backs in the class regardless of position.
38. QB Sam Huard, Burien (Wash.) Kennedy Catholic
6-foot-2, 180 pounds
Committed to Washington
Although he possesses average size, Huard is regarded as perhaps the best deep-ball passer in this class. He’s a left-handed thrower with a smooth, classic release and the ball achieves an excellent spin rate from his mitt. The Washington commit has outstanding mental prowess in the pre-snap phase, where he leverages coverages and alignments versus his route concepts and protections. Huard is most comfortable working in the pocket at his set launch point and delivers deep balls with appropriate arc, trajectory, ball speed and proper placement. He’s rhythmic in the mid-range game and has just enough functional mobility to threaten defenses on the move or as a fair runner in the reactionary phase. His mental processing, skills as an anticipatory passer and ideal deep-ball execution on shot plays project him to be a prime fit for Washington’s new offensive structure.
39. WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Philadelphia (Pa.) St. Joseph’s Prep
6-foot-4, 185 pounds
Committed to Ohio State
Given his name, a lot has been expected of the son of an NFL Hall of Famer but Harrison has backed up the hype at every chance. He's got great size, length and expected polish to his game that creates quite the mismatch at the prep level. With just enough speed and strong finishing ability away from his body also factored in, his floor is among the best in America at any position. Harrison can tempo, alter his stems and shows ability to sell coverage with subtle head fakes and bends during route phases. He can still add some mass and overall strength and explosion in his lower half, which may couple nicely with a lower center of gravity once he lines up as a Buckeye.
40. LB Barrett Carter, Suwanee (Ga.) North Gwinnett
6-foot-1, 220 pounds
Committed to Clemson
Another future Tiger, Carter offers a counter to Trotter in play style and overall game. He flashes on the edge and in space with short-area explosion and true pop on contact. Natural navigational skill on the edge as well as inside allow for efficient movement towards the ball carrier with snap quickness to avoid being cut off. He is strong enough to play the front-side shoulder against more athletic blockers and quick enough to out flank them given play flow. Plus scraping skill and instincts allow for easy stops in the backfield while some polish exists as a pass rusher on third down. We don't have as wide a sample of Carter in coverage scenarios compared to others on the list, but he has the speed and savvy to prove effective as a sub 'backer on the occasion he isn't asked to green-dog, spy or supplement the pass rush.
More SI99 Coverage
Inaugural SI All-American SI99 Released
College Programs Dominating the SI99
SIAA's 2021 Rankings by Position
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