SI All-American Candidate Jaden Harrell Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: Jaden Harrell
Status: SI All-American candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-2, 215 pounds
Position: Inside Linebacker
School: Urbandale (Iowa)
Committed to: Iowa
Projected Position: Middle Linebacker
Frame: Compact and well-proportioned. Broad shoulders and chest taper to wide waist. Thick thighs and calves, with tightly-wound trunk. Ample room for further mass development.
Athleticism: Strong. Arrives with consistent thump. Average speed; short, choppy strider. Shows solid agility in tight confines; cuts and redirects with little wasted motion. Tight hips and ankles limit flexibility.
Instincts: Physical. Eyes always in backfield, reading keys and quarterback’s eyes. At his best in the box. Patient scraping over the top to ball. Not fooled by counters or other misdirection. Plays with good base, maximizing natural strength and power.
Polish: Extremely sound tackler. Squares up to ball-carrier when possible, and strong enough to rip down runners with arms. Prefers to shed blocks rather than plug gaps. Awareness and understanding in coverage largely unknown.
Bottom Line: Harrell is a powerful, instinctive linebacker who thrives near the line of scrimmage. Best suited as MIKE in scheme with four down linemen, who can free him to make tackles in run game. Limited ceiling due to average physical traits, but could be multi-year starter for Hawkeyes.