Kevin White vs. Kevin White in West Virginia vs. TCU, And Other Big 12 Notes

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While many references were made to the coincidental Kevin White on Kevin White matchup, few anticipated the eventual result. West Virginia WR Kevin White has been a remarkable story in 2014, upping his draft stock from a 4th round preseason grade to a potential top 40 selection. As a 6’3, 210 pound target with excellent body control in-route, at the catch point and after the catch point, WR Kevin White really looks the part of an NFL receiver. His counterpart in TCU CB Kevin White lacks ideal size and length at the position (listed at 5’10, 174 pounds), and I’ve had him graded as a fringe draftable prospect from the start of the season.

Regardless of pro potential though, the outcome was slanted towards the TCU cornerback: West Virginia’s Kevin White was held to 3 receptions for 28 yards (0 TD) while TCU’s Kevin White finished with 7 tackles, 2 TFL and a PBU. So what really happened and what’s the updated draft outlook for the senior cornerback prospect?

By: Alex Brown

TCU’s Gameplan for Stopping Kevin White

From a tactical standpoint, the TCU secondary sacrificed numbers in the box to keep safety help over the top. This type of context is really critical in evaluating a CB Kevin White’s performance, as he was not placed on an island per se. In fact, TCU ran Cover 1 Robber and Cover 2 man exclusively in the game to allow their junior free safety Chris Hackett to track any vertical throws by West Virginia.

With that being said, in going back over every snap of CB Kevin White, I came away very impressed with the cornerback’s tackling skills, balance in coverage and overall competitiveness. Despite giving up a major size advantage, the senior CB consistently maintained outside leverage and defeated blocks from the other Kevin White to contribute in run support. If you take away two screens, WR Kevin White caught only one curl pattern down the field for 8 yards and zero yards after the catch.

 

Evaluating TCU Senior CB Kevin White

Kevin White’s lack of size and length limit his ability to play physically at the line of scrimmage, but he knows this and stays in phase with controlled, athletic movements. He’s comfortable playing off the receiver in bail technique, but also showcased the body control and balance downfield to look-and-lean through the receiver in trail positioning.

Prior to the start of the NFL season, I texted now-San Diego Chargers CB Richard Crawford about the increased penalties for illegal contact downfield. When I asked Crawford how that impacts the evaluation of future cornerbacks, he said that corners now more than ever must possess great body control and understand angles in order to win positioning battles. So although Kevin White isn’t the size-speed, press corner that every NFL team is looking for, he certainly possesses the traits brought up by Crawford –an undersized cornerback himself who previously played for the Washington Redskins.

With White’s skill set, I could see him transitioning seamlessly into a nickel corner role at the next level and be able to spell a few starts on the outside. It’s important to realize that this game was not a “shutdown” game from the TCU CB, but rather it was a function of Kevin White competing at a high level and executing a well thought out gameplan to bracket the West Virginia WR. White has certainly cemented his status as a day three prospect on my board, and predraft workouts will likely determine exactly where he’s selected.

 

Other Big 12 Notes

-TCU’s junior SAF Chris Hackett also performed very well versus West Virginia’s vaunted pass attack. Hackett showed the range to work from inside the hash marks to outside the numbers on multiple throws downfield, and intercepted a deep fade that was intended for Kevin White. He made another excellent reaction while reading the quarterback’s eyes in Cover 2 man, but dropped what would have been a second interception. He’s a long athlete at 6’2, explosive when transitioning on the throw or closing on the ball carrier, and a willing player in run support.

-West Virginia senior QB Clint Trickett had one of his poorer performances against TCU. He struggled to identify matchups presnap when faced with pressure fronts, and began to vacate clean pockets while feeling “phantom pressure.” Trickett processes very well against zone coverages, knowing where to attack on the field; however, TCU’s man concepts really exposed his lack of arm strength. Trickett should know more than most that Kevin White’s game is predicated on catch point dominance. I didn’t like how quickly Trickett looked away from White, and wanted to see more quality targets downfield. With his frail body type and below average arm strength, Trickett falls in the 6th to Priority Free Agent draft grade range.

-West Virginia senior OG Quinton Spain flashed his NFL-ability in this game by creating consistent movement at the first level and also landing multiple blocks on pulling assignments. His lack of foot speed and balance worries me, but Spain’s wide body and ability to dominate at the point of attack could lead to day two grades. I view him as a high upside, day three pick that needs to iron out his base fundamentals, but I’m warming up to his mauling play style.

-In watching Oklahoma’s blowout win against Iowa State, senior LT Tyrus Thompson continued to be streaky in one-on-one pass protection but displayed very good movement skills to land blocks at the second level. He’s improved his kick slide and mirror technique in terms of setting his base prior to delivering a punch, but he’ll need to continue to work on fitting his hands inside at the point of attack. Even against a lesser talented Iowa State defense, Thompson’s initial hand placement and body positioning forced him to grasp, pull and hold on multiple occasions. Thompson remains a work in progress, but is a developmental tackle prospect with good upside.

-Thompson’s senior teammate Daryl Williams is still my highest rated senior on Oklahoma’s roster. Williams wins with length and strength and looks like a bigger version of D.J. Fluker, which is a scary thought in a good way. Although he’s not as athletic as Tyrus Thompson, I see more consistent angles to the point of attack and far more power through his hands. He’s limited to right tackle, but will immediately boost an NFL team’s running game with his ability to create movement on the line of scrimmage. Depending on which underclassmen declare, I could Daryl Williams being a 2nd or 3rd round pick.

-Running the ball for Oklahoma, redshirt sophomore Alex Ross had his best game of the year with career-highs in both carries and rushing yards. Ross is a bit high-cut and linear as an athlete, but able to sink his hips, gather his feet and run with plus balance in traffic. His controlled feet and vision are evident in the way he picks his way through the first level, while the size-speed elements of his game are seen downfield at the second and third levels. Primarily a kick return specialist for Oklahoma, Ross made the most of his opportunities in the backfield against Iowa State.

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