SI All-American Candidate Gabe Nealy Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: DB Gabe Nealy
Projected Position: Safety/Cornerback
Status: SI All-American candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 175 pounds
School: Miami (Fla.) Gulliver Prep
Committed to: South Florida
Frame: Nealy is a long, lean athlete, with arms to match. Great build for a corner or safety.
Athleticism: Nealy pops on tape often for his speed, and that is difficult to do against his competition. Changes direction well, especially for his height.
Instincts: Love what Nealy shows when the ball is in the air. He attacks the ball, breaks on it, and times those breaks well. Good leaper and jump ball defender. Hands off coverage to his safety well.
Polish: Nealy is a big, physical corner, and that can lead to him being a little grabby at times. His individual technique in man coverage has room to grow, but he is very comfortable operating in zone scheme, lending his projection to more than one potential spot in the secondary.
Bottom Line: With his size, Nealy will be looked at as a potential safety candidate. While he could play there, he has the skills of a quality man cover corner, perhaps in the boundary, with size rarely seen at that position. Nealy has the tools to be a contributor as a true freshman, but with coaching, could leave college as a special player because of his rare size and speed.