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ISAIAH SIMMONS
LB, Clemson
CONF Atlantic Coast - Atlantic JERSEY #11 CLASS RS Junior HT 6'4" DOB 07/26/1998 WT 230 lbs
ANALYST'S REPORTS
CrabbsSolakHarrisMarino
Football IQ - Nose for the football is excellent. Trusts his OL keys to attack and flow forward as needed and illustrates natural feel for direct pathways to the football in traffic. Tasked with endless responsibilities and roles and thrives in nearly every single one of them.
Tackling - Tackle radius is plentiful thanks to enormous wingspan and explosive burst to close ground. Impressive body control to tilt, lean and work into the body, showing strong flexibility to maximize his influence and still play with significant force and finishing power.
Block Shedding - Long arms create a difficult landmark for most blockers to achieve, he's highly effective at extending himself and stacking blocks. Shows good initial punch to offset any forward charge and sufficient in firm shedding techniques to pull himself free of hands.
Competitive Toughness - Effort is A+. Does all of the little things in pursuit that net extra production. He's versatile and capable of playing in the box with imposing presence or flying around on third level and serving as a prowler to buzz to the catch point and deliver booming hits.
Lateral Mobility - Sideline to sideline range and shows natural ability to open his hips during scrapes over the top of the box. His short area quickness will allow him to jump across face of blockers as a blitzer. Love how he closes and squeezes D-gap on the edge.
Coverage Skills - His feel in shallow zone is still hit or miss, peripheral vision can miss opportunities to sink and jump throws — but ball production was better in 2019. Man to man abilities are through the roof and has the ability to play press man or turn and run coverage on almost all TEs.
Gap Shooting Ability - Have seen him overtake defenders with well timed jump of the snap from the second level. Initial quickness will defeat many blocks climbing to the second level and allow for impact plays in the backfield. Dynamic to flash and work into the LOS.
Feet/COD - Smooth. Really like his patience and trust in his athletic ability to not stress or overextend himself. Click and close ability is complimented with burst and he also shows impressive mobility in the lower half to catch and adjust his pursuit angles with steep turns.
Flexibility - Unicorn level athlete that moves with fluidity and mobility that shouldn't be possible for a player of his stature. Hip looseness is tremendous to flip and carry route stems in tight coverage at the LOS. Lateral lean to carry speed through corners is excellent.
First Step Quickness - Moves like a defensive back, he'll overwhelm ball carriers, quarterbacks and offensive linemen alike from his various alignments. One of the most dynamic athletes in the entire class — he just so happens to be built like a linebacker.
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Best Trait - Versatility
Worst Trait - Zone Coverage Anticipation
Best Film - Ohio State (2019)
Worst Film - Alabama (2018)
Red Flags - None
Summary - Isaiah Simmons is a blue chip prospect with unparalleled versatility. His unbelievable length and athletic gifts make him a sensible fit for a number of positions, including MIKE, SAM, SS and a nickel LB in coverage. Simmons has explosive qualities and will be an asset vs. the run and pass alike. He's a game changing player who should be coveted as a true 3-down linebacker/hybrid defender who can be the pivotal chess piece in a weekly defensive game plan.
LB, Clemson
CONF Atlantic Coast - Atlantic JERSEY #11 CLASS RS Junior HT 6'4" DOB 07/26/1998 WT 230 lbs
ANALYST'S REPORTS
CrabbsSolakHarrisMarino
Football IQ - Nose for the football is excellent. Trusts his OL keys to attack and flow forward as needed and illustrates natural feel for direct pathways to the football in traffic. Tasked with endless responsibilities and roles and thrives in nearly every single one of them.
Tackling - Tackle radius is plentiful thanks to enormous wingspan and explosive burst to close ground. Impressive body control to tilt, lean and work into the body, showing strong flexibility to maximize his influence and still play with significant force and finishing power.
Block Shedding - Long arms create a difficult landmark for most blockers to achieve, he's highly effective at extending himself and stacking blocks. Shows good initial punch to offset any forward charge and sufficient in firm shedding techniques to pull himself free of hands.
Competitive Toughness - Effort is A+. Does all of the little things in pursuit that net extra production. He's versatile and capable of playing in the box with imposing presence or flying around on third level and serving as a prowler to buzz to the catch point and deliver booming hits.
Lateral Mobility - Sideline to sideline range and shows natural ability to open his hips during scrapes over the top of the box. His short area quickness will allow him to jump across face of blockers as a blitzer. Love how he closes and squeezes D-gap on the edge.
Coverage Skills - His feel in shallow zone is still hit or miss, peripheral vision can miss opportunities to sink and jump throws — but ball production was better in 2019. Man to man abilities are through the roof and has the ability to play press man or turn and run coverage on almost all TEs.
Gap Shooting Ability - Have seen him overtake defenders with well timed jump of the snap from the second level. Initial quickness will defeat many blocks climbing to the second level and allow for impact plays in the backfield. Dynamic to flash and work into the LOS.
Feet/COD - Smooth. Really like his patience and trust in his athletic ability to not stress or overextend himself. Click and close ability is complimented with burst and he also shows impressive mobility in the lower half to catch and adjust his pursuit angles with steep turns.
Flexibility - Unicorn level athlete that moves with fluidity and mobility that shouldn't be possible for a player of his stature. Hip looseness is tremendous to flip and carry route stems in tight coverage at the LOS. Lateral lean to carry speed through corners is excellent.
First Step Quickness - Moves like a defensive back, he'll overwhelm ball carriers, quarterbacks and offensive linemen alike from his various alignments. One of the most dynamic athletes in the entire class — he just so happens to be built like a linebacker.
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Best Trait - Versatility
Worst Trait - Zone Coverage Anticipation
Best Film - Ohio State (2019)
Worst Film - Alabama (2018)
Red Flags - None
Summary - Isaiah Simmons is a blue chip prospect with unparalleled versatility. His unbelievable length and athletic gifts make him a sensible fit for a number of positions, including MIKE, SAM, SS and a nickel LB in coverage. Simmons has explosive qualities and will be an asset vs. the run and pass alike. He's a game changing player who should be coveted as a true 3-down linebacker/hybrid defender who can be the pivotal chess piece in a weekly defensive game plan.
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