SI All-American Candidate Alton McCaskill Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: Alton McCaskill
Status: SI All-American candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-1, 195 pounds
Position: Running Back
School: Conroe (Texas) Oak Ridge
Schools of Interest: Oklahoma State, Auburn, Florida State, Penn State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Arkansas, Virginia Tech, Virginia and SMU, among others.
Projected Position: Running Back
Frame: Tall and lean. Above-average shoulder and chest width. Relatively narrow, high waist. Long, tightly-wound legs, with developing trunk. Ample room for more mass, muscle.
Athleticism: Home-run speed. Clocked 10.95 100-meter dash in March. Light, active feet. Impressive short-area quickness; gets in and out of cuts with ease. Sudden, especially for bigger back. Good balance through contact. Flashes natural ball skills.
Instincts: Natural, decisive ball-carrier. Aggressively presses LOS with one cut when running lane presents itself. Capable of making multiple defenders miss in box and open field. Possesses highlight-reel spin move and multi-step jukes. Not especially physical. Tracks ball well in air receiver.
Polish: Clean footwork and technique at exchange. Stands a bit upright in backfield, and could improve base as between-tackles runner. Needs to be more comfortable lowering shoulder for extra yardage. Promising route-runner. Blocking ability largely unknown.
Bottom Line: McCaskill’s impressive offer list is indicative of his rare speed, agility, and frame at running back. Must get stronger and increase physicality, but possesses most every tool recruiters look for in featured back. Profiles as multi-year starter, with NFL upside depending on strength development.