SI All-American Candidate Tyreak Sapp Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: DE Tyreak Sapp
Projected Position: Sapp can play defensive end on the strong or weak side in a 40-front and has the potential to grow into a 3-technique defensive tackle.
Status: SI All-American candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-3, 260 pounds
School: Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Saint Thomas Aquinas
Committed to: Florida
Frame: Powerful-looking build at 260 pounds with good definition in upper body. Good-size thighs and lower half.
Athleticism: Good first-step quickness off the edges and can close on ball carriers in hurry. Yet his top athletic trait is his strength and power, which he uses to defeat blockers at the point of attack. Sapp has good short-area quickness, balance, and solid agility when in pursuit.
Instincts: Pass-rush plan is predicated on his cross-chop move, which is his go-to in his toolbox. Off of this, he will work in a rip to counter and also mixes in an occasional spin and flashes the ability to bend and dip. Sapp also is capable of converting speed to power to walk back offensive linemen playing with a high hat.
Polish: Sapp will need to add a bit more to his toolbox as a pass-rusher, but he has the explosiveness and point-of-attack strength to find a place on a defensive front on the edges fairly early in his career. He plays with a good motor, hustle, and competes by tracking ball-carriers from behind through the whistle.
Bottom Line: At this point, Sapp is somewhat of a scheme versatile “tweener.” He 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.