Syracuse Signee Evaluation: Elijah Fuentes
Player: Elijah Fuentes
Position: Defensive Tackle
Height/Weight: 6-3, 260 lbs
School: Cardinal Hayes High (Bronx, NY)
Other Notable Offers: Boston College, Buffalo, Duke, Rutgers, Wake Forest
Evaluation:
Frame: Fuentes has the size to battle inside already and the frame to add even more. He could easily add another 30 to 40 pounds while reshaping his body in the strength and conditioning program.
Athleticism: What you like the most about watching Fuentes on film is his ability to get out of his stance quickly. That allows him to use his supreme power to be a disruptive force in the middle of a defensive line. Fuentes is a better athlete than you would think for his size.
Instincts: Fuentes loves the physical game inside, has a relentless motor and does a nice job of reacting to the play chasing either the quarterback or a ball carrier.
Polish: Fuentes has a bit of Jay Bromley in his game. He is disruptive in the middle, can rush the passer, has power at the point of attack and is deceptively quick getting into the backfield. There are things that can refined such as footwork, block shedding technique, learning to split doubles, etc. But there is a lot to like about Fuentes game, and he could contribute early in his career.
Bottom Line: If he turns out to be close to the player Bromley was at Syracuse, the Orange have a good one here. He is coming in as a defensive tackle, but his skill set could transition to end in the 3-3-5 as we