Jatavius Shivers Ready To Pave The Way For Carolina
Dominant. That's the best word to describe offensive tackle Jatavius Shivers, a South Carolina commit since late July.
Shivers is a Georgia native who has played a lot of high-level football. Villa Rica High School routinely plays in big football games with talented players, and Shivers manages to stand out physically amongst P5 players.
He's every bit of his 6-7 and 300 lbs. listing, with arm length to push defensive ends onto their backsides. Shivers dominated the high school circuit with sheer power and will, determined to crush anything that came into his path.
Villa Rica also used his athleticism in space. They often pulled him across the entire line of scrimmage to the field side, asking him to reach second-level defenders. He did it from both tackle spots, often completing the task.
The biggest thing Shivers must work on in college is confidence. He flashes starting upside when he is in the zone, but there are many plays where he seems tentative about using his gifts.
Shivers tends to keep his arms close to his body instead of extending them. Additionally, he routinely wins blocks but doesn't finish through them, letting backside defenders creep into the play.
However, when he decides he is putting you on the ground, there isn't much you can do about it. His athletic profile also shows up in pass protection, as he already can kick slide and seal the edge before rushers get to the outside.
He's another body that needs development, but there's a tangible progression path for Shivers. Once the coaching staff figures out how to get consistency daily, Shivers should begin making noise.
South Carolina took different types of offensive linemen in the 2023 class. While Shivers may be the least recognized, he may be one of the most valuable.
Currently, he is their only tackle commit in the class. They need him to develop into an impact player, and everything thus far says he can eventually do that.
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