SI99: A look at Prospects Ranked No. 71-80
SI All-American continues ongoing analysis of the top prospects in the class of 2021 after releasing the SI99 Monday.
[Prospects 1-10, 11-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70]
71. DE Zaire Patterson, Winston-Salem (N.C.) Preparatory Academy
6-foot-6, 230 pounds
Committed to Clemson
Perhaps the most raw prospect on the list given his lack of Friday night football experience compared to his peers, there's still too much flash to ignore with Patterson's game. The extremely long and lean athlete, who has a basketball background, has a head-turning first step off the edge at his size and he already shows comfort coming off the ball as a stand up defender. There are hints of speed to power conversion and even strong bend at 6-foot-6, but he has also shown great awareness despite the inexperience, redirecting based on the play flow and playing the passing lanes with that elite wingspan, even corralling a pick-six down the line in 2019. Patterson has room to add to his pass rushing toolbox as much as he does physically with his frame, but truly sits among the most twitchy edge rushers in the class of 2021 with that rare blend of elite traits to continue the pass rushing production in Death Valley.
72. S Ahmari Harvey, Tallahassee (Fla.) Florida State University
5-foot-11, 175 pounds
Committed to Auburn
There may be no defensive back in the country with better range ball skills than Harvey. He projects as a classic single-high safety who can close off the middle of the field in cover-1 and cover-3 concepts as an apex-player. Harvey can also work as a boundary safety in split-shell alignments and be spun to the post pre or post-snap. What he lacks in size, he compensates with range, anticipation and leap timing to arrive at catch-points with the intentions of a receiver. The Florida native is the type of safety who allows cornerbacks to take more chances and play with more confidence by knowing he’s up top as their safety net. We expect high-end ball production from Harvey at the college level.
73. CB Latrell McCutchin, Austin (Texas) Lyndon B. Johnson
6-foot-1, 176 pounds
Committed to Oklahoma
McCutchin missed his junior campaign with a knee injury, and had that not occurred, he perhaps would indeed be higher on this list. His sophomore tape was promising, showing a big corner with fluid hips and redirect ability through quick yet patient man-turns via press and bail technique. McCuthchin also can work with a slow-play technique in off-alignments to process stems, route combinations and drops before using his solid downhill quickness from stationary positions to plant and drive on short routes. He has enough long speed to carry receivers downfield and his length allows him to challenge with disruption at catch-points. The Oklahoma commit projects as a potential boundary corner in Norman, with even potential to develop into a dynamic MOF-safety later in his career.
74. WR Brian Thomas, Walker (La.) High School
6-foot-4, 185 pounds
Considering LSU, Alabama, Georgia and Texas A&M
Another big target within the top 10, Thomas brings great basketball traits to the pass catching position. Few are better with the football in the air than he, whether approaching from the ball skills, coordination or a leaping standpoint. He's not just a 50/50 ball specialist with a great frame, though, with strong hands and some shiftiness after the catch that enables targets closer to the line of scrimmage. Plus functional strength and great balance round of his physical profile and primary means for production. Despite the raw route running foundation and a lack of true polish, Thomas' physical traits and spacial awareness can prove productive at the collegiate level.
75. IDL Lee Hunter, Eight Mile (Ala.) Blount
6-foot-5, 292 pounds
Committed to Auburn
One of the most polarizing prospects in the South, Hunter burst onto the scene as an underclassman thanks to immense size, two-way starting ability and a motor that seemingly wouldn't quit. He bulked up even more the next year but has trimmed back down around the 300-pound mark where his pound-for-pound athleticism shines brightest. When he's on, few in America stack up to the sheer force Hunter plays with in small windows. It translates to two-gap principles that can be utilized in any defensive scheme given his pop at the point of attack, head-turning wingspan and extension. Consistency continues to be coveted with his game, but if part of the projection business is ceiling-focused, Hunter is one of the top interior defensive line talents anywhere.
76. DE Tyreak Sapp, Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas
6-foot-3, 260 pounds
Committed to Florida
Sapp has been on the recruiting industry's radar as long as any elite prospect at any position nationally and he rarely falls short of very high expectations. Armed with a well-developed and compact frame, the Gator commitment wins with natural ability, strength and true polish at a higher frequency than most. He thrives with a go-to cross chop move against blockers while working on the inside or out on Friday nights before showcasing strong leverage and bend ability en route to a sack or tackle for loss. Sapp currently plays mainly on the edges, yet has the potential to grow into an interior defender on a defensive front. With his strength, he can take advantage of blockers with soft shoulders and has enough quickness and gap penetration ability to work against guards at the college level as needed.
77. S Corey Collier, Miami (Fla.) Palmetto Senior
6-foot-2, 170 pounds
Committed to Florida
Collier is another safety talent who exceeds in the classic asks of the position, with true last-line-of-defense game both in between the ears and from a physical standpoint. With an extremely high floor given length, range and run support consistency and pop along the way, the Florida Gator commitment plays the game with true balance and flashes impact, turnover-educing plays along the way. His athleticism won’t jump off the page but he compensates with incredible savvy, ball skills and sheer play-making ability that gets defenses off the field on third down. Collier, who has strong samples of man-coverage ability on the outside, projects as a signal-calling deep safety with the advanced technique to hold up in man coverage as needed.
78. IDL Mike Hall, Streetsboro (Ohio)
6-foot-3, 275 pounds
Committed to Ohio State
Another versatile defender on this list, Hall can line up at either traditional defensive tackle spot and can challenge tackles and tight ends in an odd-man front if asked. The future Buckeye is built for today's trench game with his lighter, quicker build, translating to consistent activity in the opposing backfield. Leverage and anticipation help round out his strengths from a floor standpoint while he shows some promise in the development of his hand usage against blockers. Hall relies on a swift swim move and flashes a one-handed swipe to counter at this stage of his development. Increased lower-body muscle mass and depth in hand technique could be the difference between an instant impact or a shot at spot duty early on in Columbus. Down the road we expect him to grow into a 1-technique/A-gap style defensive tackle.
79. CB Jakailin Johnson, Creve Coeur (Mo.) De Smet Jesuit
6-foot, 168 pounds
Committed to Ohio State
The future Buckeye fits the profile of what Ryan Day and company have coveted of late at the position. He's long with physicality, inside-out traits and well above average instincts and technique along the way. He’s most comfortable as a squat defender in soft-man concepts, where he can use his foot quickness and savvy to make plays, perhaps leading to some nickel roles earlier in his Ohio State career. Johnson is confident at the line of scrimmage and uses his hands well early in the rep, with leverage discipline and rock solid speed down the field. He plays the football with calculation despite flirting on that line between pesky and over aggressive, foundational traits most defensive coordinators would love to work with. Johnson can add to his frame and enhance his close-quarter combat strengths in college to round out his game.
80. S Derrick Davis, Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway
6-foot-1, 195 pounds
Considering Ohio State, Clemson, Penn State, Notre Dame, USC, Michigan State and Miami, among others.
Davis, another prospect with two-way experience as an offensive playmaker, has the traits to develop into a very good starting college back-end defender. He has enough instincts and ball skills to go along with play speed, range and toughness in the box to play both free safety and strong safety, while also having the size to potentially even contribute as a linebacker on sub-packages. Great vision on display from his experience as a running back can reinforce his sub package value in the box and beyond. As he continues developing his man coverage skills and consistent tackling technique in space, Davis has a chance to become a core contributor to a collegiate defense.
More SI99 Coverage
Inaugural SI All-American SI99 Released
College Programs Dominating the SI99
SIAA's 2021 Rankings by Position
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