Analysis: Vols Land Polished Edge Defender in Jimmy Scott
In college football, there is no real chance for a coaching staff to focus exclusively on the present. Teams have to keep an eye and some efforts down the road at all times, evaluating high school underclassmen, making early offers, and recruiting the players they want in classes to come. That is no different for Jeremy Pruitt and his staff in Knoxville, as they are looking at recruiting down the road even in the midst of the discussions about COVID-19. The Vols have landed their first commitment in the 2022 recruiting cycle, and he is an intriguing prospect, Saint Francis (Hamburg, NY) product, Jimmy Scott.
Scott is a rising junior, so his evaluation is based off of sophomore tape. What stands out especially for Scott being so young on film is how big he already is. Scott is preparing to enter his junior season at 6’3” and 250 pounds. Scott should grow further before he reaches college, but he already has a good physique, especially for his age. He demonstrates that his build is more than for show when he works off the edge at defensive end or at times standing up as an outside linebacker, where he most likely projects at Tennessee. Watching Scott on film, the theme is of surprise at how advanced and polished a player of his age is. He appears ahead of schedule in his development, which only makes his physical gifts more impactful. Scott as a pass rusher attacks the outside shoulder of opposing tackles and works to turn the corner on them. He has a solid first step and uses his hands well to clear tackles and turn to the quarterback. Scott also demonstrates a high football IQ, using that same speed to press offensive tackles too far upfield, then disengages and works back to the quarterback. Scott does show the ability to bull rush, but his power moves are areas that he can further develop before reaching the next level. A solid foundation is there, but his game at this time is built around his speed and the moves that rely most heavily on it.
While Scott is surprising for his size and build at his age, his speed is what makes him such an intriguing talent. Even at 250 pounds, Scott plays running back on offense for St. Francis, and he shows the ability to run away from players in the secondary even at that weight. He punishes defenders that try to stop him with his obvious size, weight, and power advantage, but the straight-line speed at his size is what stands out the most. That speed is what makes him so difficult to handle on defense. Scott is fast enough to beat most tackles to the corner and has the moves to shed their hands and turn it. He does that while being big and strong enough to engage with tackles in the run game or by pressing tackles too far upfield in passing situations, then disengage. Scott can hold a blocker, read a play, and get off a block to react like a fast linebacker. He brings a rare combination of size, speed, and skills, already showing polish and with time to improve further. Scott will no doubt be evaluated at multiple positions, especially as he physically develops over the next two years, he looks to translate as an ideal fit as an outside linebacker for the Vols.
Scott is the first player that the Vols have added to their 2022 class, and he looks to be what we are coming to see as a clear Jeremy Pruitt guy. He is a good athlete, has impressive size, and shines on his high school tape. How Scott develops over the next two years will be interesting to monitor, but his size and speed will make many scouts salivate. It will be his game film and technique that impress so many coaches. It is very early in the process for 2022 prospects, but Scott is a young man that has all the marks of a player primed to be highly ranked. It appears the Vols have started off their 2022 class with a young man who has the ability to develop into a high impact player by the time he reaches Knoxville.