SI All-American Candidate Daylan Carnell Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: DB Daylan Carnell
Projected Position: Cornerback
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-1, 195 pounds
School: Indianapolis (Ind.) Ben Davis
Committed to: Missouri
Frame: Tall with lean muscle development in upper half. Broad frame with room to add mass in chest and lower half.
Athleticism: Runs relatively well given size with sustainable long speed, backed by very good 400-meter dash times on the track (53.06 PR).
Instincts: Extremely comfortable in zone coverage with good breaking timing and ball skills to make plays with the football in flight. Play-maker always around the football with great feel for leverage and risk based on down and distance. Willing tackler who can convert speed to power.
Polish: Zone coverage specialist with great turn-and-run traits relative to the ball in flight. Uses length to win in the boundary at the line of scrimmage and to recover in the open field. Could stand to improve press work and pad level near the line of scrimmage.
Bottom Line: Carnell has a wide-receiver-like “my ball” mentality when the football is in flight, a trait more and more essential in the modern climate of college football. He uses his length along with the long speed and ball skills in a coordinated effort that makes his cornerback foundation translatable to that of a traditional free safety. As he polishes up the technique as a corner, sub package work in other alignments shouldn’t be out of the question. This play maker won’t sit long in college either way.