Get To Know New South Carolina Commit Elijah Caldwell
On Thursday afternoon, South Carolina's football program got a late added boost to the receiver room for the upcoming season in the form of Elijah Caldwell, an in-state prospect from the Rock Hill area that was offered by the home state program around three weeks ago.
Caldwell was a player who quickly became one of the staff's top priorities, having coaches make multiple trips to his school, conduct an in-home visit, and host him on an official visit this past weekend.
So what are the Gamecocks getting in Elijah Caldwell?
A Production Machine
During his high school football career, Caldwell played for the Northwestern Trojans, one that saw his team go from 5A classification his junior year down to 4A classification his senior year. Despite the potential dropoff in competition, Elijah displayed in both seasons that he can be a No. 1 wide receiver for a collegiate offense.
In his junior and senior seasons, Caldwell caught 154 passes for 2,612 receiving yards and 34 receiving touchdowns. His performance this past fall led to him being selected to the Shrine Bowl, including the best senior high school football prospects in both South and North Carolina.
A Big Play Threat
The South Carolina product proved in high school that he could help an offense produce explosive plays in multiple ways, mainly with his ability to reel in intermediate to deep passes through beating defensive backs off the line, high-pointing a pass, or out-jumping his defender and surviving contact when multiple defenders are in his vicinity.
Elijah is also dangerous in the quick passing game, something his coaches best utilized through tunnel screens where he consistently showcased his ability to accelerate in the open field and use his ballcarrier vision to work past potential open-field tacklers.
Great Field Awareness
One of the main keys to becoming a viable outside receiver in football is having a good awareness of your position relative to the sideline. Caldwell excels immensely in this facet of the game.
He proves this especially clear on routes that predominantly happen outside of the numbers, such as a hitch, comeback, or out route, making life difficult for opposing defenders who can't react quickly enough.
Elijah's ability to make a defense pay both in the horizontal and vertical areas of the field makes him an offensive skill player full of next-level potential, especially with receivers coach Justin Stepp getting the chance to work with him.
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