SI All-American Candidate Donaven McCulley Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: Donaven McCulley
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-5, 195 pounds
Position: Quarterback
School: Indianapolis (Ind.) Lawrence North
Schools of Interest: Ole Miss, Purdue, Iowa, Missouri and Indiana.
Projected Position: Quarterback
Frame: Athletic and tall frame with good body definition.
Athleticism: Flashes quick and light feet when forced to reset to throw. Mobile with good movement skills and functional strength. Has enough arm strength to consistently hit all three levels. Strong with the ball in his hands with above-average lower-body strength and balance to run through arm tackles.
Instincts: Instincts become more apparent in reactionary phase of plays. Has good awareness of defenders. Naturally creative in the pocket. Can find throwing lanes in traffic. Good trajectory judgment on second-level throws.
Polish: Has rawness to his game that needs to be refined, including his footwork, playing within structure and ball placement. Will need some time to work on position fundamentals while simultaneously marrying them to his athletic ability to reach his potential as a college quarterback.
Bottom Line: With his size, length, athleticism and good functional strength, McCulley presents many intriguing physical tools. He currently does not get much consistent protection and needs to harness his raw fundamentals, but he is a creative dual-threat playmaker at the quarterback position. Ultimately, McCulley could find success in a system with half-field reads in the passing game blended with a power rushing attack that includes using him on designed QB runs from the ‘gun.