SI All-American Candidate Willie Shaw Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: RB Willie Shaw
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 5-foot-11, 180 pounds
School: Chicago (Ill.) Brother Rice
Committed to: Toledo
Projected Position: Running Back
Frame: He’s got a really thin frame with broad shoulders and long arms. He almost looks like a slot receiver physically.
Athleticism: There’s not a ton of top-end speed, but there’s not an unathletic portion of this young man’s body patterns. He’s a fluid athlete with decent power for a back of his stature. He’s got natural hands out the backfield as well.
Instincts: He’s got good spatial awareness, always seems to know when defenders are near, but more importantly where his blockers are coming from on the second level. So, despite there not being a ton of straight-line speed, he can create chunk plays.
Polish: There’s some really good footwork in tight spaces and he’s versatile enough to be split out if need be in empty situations. He’s going to need to pack on some serious good weight at the next level, but there's reason to believe he will do so based off the frame.
Bottom Line: There’s not anything Shaw does extraordinarily well, but he does everything good enough to be a successful back on the collegiate level. He’s going to be a third down back early on, then could turn into a workhorse as he grows physically.