SI All-American Candidate Devin Kirkwood Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: DB Devin Kirkwood
Projected Position: Safety
Status: SI All-American candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-3, 180 pounds
Position: Cornerback
School: Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra
Considering: USC, UCLA and others
Frame: Long, lean frame with room to fill in and build up, especially in his lower half.
Athleticism: Kirkwood’s change of direction is a plus, and while most of his game film shows Kirkwood playing downhill, he’s shown fluid hips and hyper-active feet in camps and 7-on-7. Track athlete. Can open up a run with the best of them.
Instincts: He times his collision with the receiver well, using his long arms to pry would-be catches loose. He plays to his own strengths and up to the supreme level of competition he lined up against in his junior season.
Polish: Plays with excellent balance and never looks out of place. This is partially due to athleticism but more so a product of eye discipline. When he’s down in press coverage, which we didn’t see too much of, he uses his hands early and often.
Bottom Line: Bottom line, you’d better be extremely confident in your receiver if you throw in Kirkwood’s direction. We’d like to see fewer arm tackles, but he does well breaking down before wrapping up in run support. Projects as a rangy off-ball cover corner or safety.