Spears missed his junior season with a knee injury, so I'll wait until we get some more veteran film to do a full film analysis of Spears. But his sophomore film is really impressive. Here are my thoughts on Spears and what he brings to the game:
STRENGTHS
- Has a tremendous frame. Listed at 6-5, 260 pounds, but he could easily be 285-290 pounds and actually get quicker. Has the body to stay on the outside, but if ND wanted to push the envelope with him he could push 300+ pounds and still be athletic enough to disrupt as an interior player. Possesses long arms, which is something you want in a DL.
- Lots of raw strength. Shows a powerful punch and the ability to shed blockers in order to get to the football.
- Has a thick and strong base, which helps him anchor at the point of attack. Helps him take on double teams, hold his ground and still get off to get to the football.
- Powerful tackler.
- Shows a very quick burst off the line. Long speed needs work when working on the edge, but his first and closing speed allow him to be productive, and project to make him a potential three-down player as a both a strongside end or defensive tackle.
- Quick hands. Knows how to use hands to stack and shed, uses them well to avoid cut blocks. Obviously as a young player he needs technique work, but his hand play is advanced for a young player.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
- Edge speed will need to improve.
- Has to reshape his body. He's still very young, and he has a young body that needs a lot of work. While this is an area for improvement, it's also one thing that makes him such a top prospect. He's not even close to being at his full potential, and the more his body changes the more dominant he'll be.
- Pad level at the snap is good, but at times he'll stand up when engaged, which saps him of power when it occurs.
- Gets too high when he tackles at times.
- Must work on angles on the edge when he pass rushes.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Spears is a really good early pickup for Notre Dame. He could eventually outgrow the DE position, but if Notre Dame wants him to stay outside it will be easy to keep him streamlined at 285-290 and allow him to pay there. At that size he could also be a swing player, but if he wants to blow up he could be an athletic 300-pounder that makes a lot of plays against the run and pass.
Landing him as the first end in the class gives Notre Dame a strong foundation to build around.
BGI GRADE: 4.0 (As a DE)
UPSIDE GRADE: 4.5 (As a DE)
STRENGTHS
- Has a tremendous frame. Listed at 6-5, 260 pounds, but he could easily be 285-290 pounds and actually get quicker. Has the body to stay on the outside, but if ND wanted to push the envelope with him he could push 300+ pounds and still be athletic enough to disrupt as an interior player. Possesses long arms, which is something you want in a DL.
- Lots of raw strength. Shows a powerful punch and the ability to shed blockers in order to get to the football.
- Has a thick and strong base, which helps him anchor at the point of attack. Helps him take on double teams, hold his ground and still get off to get to the football.
- Powerful tackler.
- Shows a very quick burst off the line. Long speed needs work when working on the edge, but his first and closing speed allow him to be productive, and project to make him a potential three-down player as a both a strongside end or defensive tackle.
- Quick hands. Knows how to use hands to stack and shed, uses them well to avoid cut blocks. Obviously as a young player he needs technique work, but his hand play is advanced for a young player.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
- Edge speed will need to improve.
- Has to reshape his body. He's still very young, and he has a young body that needs a lot of work. While this is an area for improvement, it's also one thing that makes him such a top prospect. He's not even close to being at his full potential, and the more his body changes the more dominant he'll be.
- Pad level at the snap is good, but at times he'll stand up when engaged, which saps him of power when it occurs.
- Gets too high when he tackles at times.
- Must work on angles on the edge when he pass rushes.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Spears is a really good early pickup for Notre Dame. He could eventually outgrow the DE position, but if Notre Dame wants him to stay outside it will be easy to keep him streamlined at 285-290 and allow him to pay there. At that size he could also be a swing player, but if he wants to blow up he could be an athletic 300-pounder that makes a lot of plays against the run and pass.
Landing him as the first end in the class gives Notre Dame a strong foundation to build around.
BGI GRADE: 4.0 (As a DE)
UPSIDE GRADE: 4.5 (As a DE)
