SI All-American Candidate George Rooks III Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: George Rooks III
Status: SI All-American candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 260 pounds
Position: Defensive end
School: Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter's Preparatory
Schools of Interest: Michigan, Syracuse, Pitt, Tennessee and Miami, among others.
Projected Position: Defensive Tackle or defensive end.
Frame: Tall, athletic and carries weight well. Long with wide shoulders, tight torso and good-looking thighs. Has room to add mass and chisel.
Athleticism: Plays with good balance and lower-half coordination for big man. Also has solid flexibility and torso rotation when closing and finishing. Has some power in his punch at the point of attack with heavy hands. Somewhat of a strider when chasing and pursuing long.
Instincts: Quick block-read ability. Alert to get eyes to mesh points to find ball after snap. Uses a quick swim to escape and shed in a hurry versus run. Capable of punching and peaking versus base blocks and can set edges to oppose reaches.
Polish: Lines up at 1, 3, 4i and 5-technique and is asked to do different things from left and right side. Used as an inside looper on stunts and games. Hand-usage arsenal consists of a stutter-and-go with power, grab-and-snatch/push-and-pull, rip and an initial longarm stab. Needs to play with more consistent leverage at the point, as he can have a high hat. Is a good wrap tackler, though would like to see more thump at collision points.
Bottom Line: Rooks is the son of former Syracuse defensive lineman George Rooks. He has good size, length and can play big at the point of attack. While he is not a flashy playmaker or pass-rusher, Rooks is an effective player who excels against the run. He has the makings of a good 5-technique defensive end in a scheme that deploys a 3-man front with 2-gap principles.