Devin Kirkwood Re-Commits to UCLA over USC
Four-star ATH/ DB Devin Kirkwood officially announced his re-commitment to the UCLA Bruins on Wednesday afternoon. Kirkwood originally committed to UCLA, but on December 7th announced his intent to re-open his recruitment to allow more time to decide. Following this, the Trojans tried to flip his decision but were unsuccessful.
Kirkwood made his announcement at 3 P.M. PST via Zoom. Eric Sondheimer of The LA Times confirmed the news.
[Read: Live USC Early Signing Day Updates]
It seems as though the all around (ATH) found clarity in his original decision to bring his talents to Westwood.
[Read: USC Lands Top QB Prospect Jaxon Dart]
At 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, Kirkwood played safety, defensive back and wide receiver at Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra high school. According to Kirkwood, he maintained a 3.7 GPA while being a dual-sport athlete, as he also ran track and field.
Here is SI All-American's Evaluation of Devin Kirkwood -
Frame: Long, lean frame with room to fill in and build up, especially in his lower half.
Athleticism: Kirkwood’s change of direction is a plus, and while most of his game film shows Kirkwood playing downhill, he’s shown fluid hips and hyper-active feet in camps and 7-on-7. Track athlete. Can open up a run with the best of them.
Instincts: He times his collision with the receiver well, using his long arms to pry would-be catches loose. He plays to his own strengths and up to the supreme level of competition he lined up against in his junior season.
Polish: Plays with excellent balance and never looks out of place. This is partially due to athleticism but more so a product of eye discipline. When he’s down in press coverage, which we didn’t see too much of, he uses his hands early and often.
Bottom Line: Bottom line, you’d better be extremely confident in your receiver if you throw in Kirkwood’s direction. We’d like to see fewer arm tackles, but he does well breaking down before wrapping up in run support. Projects as a rangy off-ball cover corner or safety.
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