Tyshawn Russell Could Be The Final Piece For Carolina's Receiver Class
Carolina's coaching staff has taken some excellent receivers this cycle but wanted at least one more before they finished things out. They landed on wideout Tyshawn Russell, an electric playmaker from Pennsylvania.
Russell had two P5 offers from South Carolina and Virginia Tech. The Gamecocks found him late in the cycle but offered him and ensured he felt welcomed. Russell ended his recruitment on Sunday afternoon, picking South Carolina.
While his development may take several seasons, Russell is the type of receiver you want in your room. His abilities raise the group's floor and push everyone to find a role.
His speed stands out above all. He's incredibly similar to fellow wide receiver commit Vicari Swain; both possess special straight-line speed, but the thing that sets them apart is their lateral agility.
Russell will need to work on leverage in his brakes, as he often comes out of them high. However, he understands body leverage when operating at the line of scrimmage, suggesting he will eventually learn how to sink his hips.
His ankle flexion is remarkable. Most speedy wideouts struggle to go over the middle, as they aren't refined in their cuts. Russell understands his route progression and when to cut, creating large windows for his quarterback.
Multiple recruiting services list Russell as 6-2 and 180 lbs. He appears slender on tape but has room to add muscle to his frame and compete in the SEC.
South Carolina has a history of taking unheralded recruits and making them stars. Defensive backs Nick Emmanwori and DQ Smith made major impacts during their true freshman season, and both received little recruiting attention.
Russell has all the tools to take the top of the defense at the next level. Carolina's offensive direction emphasizes spacing, and you need receivers who force defenses to play the entire field to play that way.
The staff may opt to take another receiver in the class. If so, keep an eye on wide receiver Edwin Joseph, one of the top targets on their board for months.
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