SI All-American Candidate Easton Mascarenas Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: Easton Mascarenas
Status: SI All-American candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-1, 220 pounds
Position: Linebacker
School: Mission Viejo (Calif.)
Committed to: Oregon State
Projected Position: Outside Linebacker
Frame: Dense build with good weight in him already. Room for additional mass all around.
Athleticism: He can fly like a running back when he’s at full speed. Very physical tackler. Lighting quick closing speed with a controlled breakdown. Good balance in his drops. Strong enough to bang around in the box, but he runs more like an overhand force defender.
Instincts: Good blitzer. Rolls his hips up and under the ball-carrier as often as the situation permits. This is the reason behind his physicality as a tackler. He does a good job of avoiding blockers and flows with mean intent.
Polish: We like Mascarenas at outside linebacker at the next level for the value he can bring as a fast guy. Shown twitchy activity in his zone drops, and he can fly from sideline to sideline when he needs to. He looks comfortable with coming up and setting the edge on a consistent basis, too.
Bottom Line: Mascarenas will be a special teams asset right away for his collegiate destination. He looks a little like Chicago Bears ‘backer Roquan Smith in how fast he closes on the ball carrier. He brings a lot of value as a cover guy and physical guy in a single package.