SI All-American Candidate Fred Eaford Highlights and Evaluation

Fred Eaford is a wide receiver prospect from Hialeah Senior High School in Hialeah, Fla. Eaford is an SI All-American candidate.

Prospect: Fred Eaford                                                                                        
Status: SI All-American Candidate                                                                          
Vitals: 5-foot-11, 160 pounds                                                                 
Position: Wide Receiver               
School: Hialeah (Fla.) Senior                                                                        
Committed to: Florida Atlantic                                                                      
Projected Position: Safety

Frame: Small and slender. Below-average width across shoulders and chest. Long arms for size. Thin, tightly-wound lower half. Plenty of room for more weight at the next level. 

Athleticism: Quick feet. Makes sudden cuts while wasting little motion. Not especially fast for size, though play speed is better than 4.72 40-yard dash clocked in 2018. Excellent overall body control. Great leaper. Impressive hand-eye coordination. 

Instincts: Tracks ball effortlessly downfield. Capable of highlight-reel aerial catches, making difficult catches in traffic. Bigger catch radius than size suggests. Dangerous open-field ball-carrier due to agility, vision. 

Polish: Advanced route-runner. Varies release at LOS, though needs to prove he can beat the jam. Understands how to attack leverage by changing speeds; uses head, shoulder fakes to fool defenders at the break. Must add weight, strength. 

Bottom Line: Eaford lacks size and long speed, but compensates with short-area quickness and overall receiving skills. Potential multi-year starter for FAU, whose ceiling could reach All-Conference levels with significant strength-and-conditioning development.