Small School Scouting Notebook: November 14th

For this week’s Small School Notebook, we take a look at a handful of FCS and  Division II programs, starting off with Nicholls State and Lamar. Also, Southern Utah, Merrimack, Dixie State and Humbolt State were also scouted.

Thanks to our scouts Alex Brown (@ABCCV25), Mark Dulgerian (@MarkDulgerianOS) and Trey Randall as well for this work.

 
Nicholls State
Laquinton Caston, QB
Caston is vastly undersized to play quarterback at the next level, but is a quick, shifty, and elusive runner who can make multiple defenders miss. He has speed and short area quickness to make transition to receiver. He runs with an explosive burst, is slippery to tackle, and carries a low center of gravity; showcases good lateral agility and open field moves. In the end, Caston could draw interest from AFL teams, and could even be a camp body for an NFL team

Bobby Felder, CB
Felder has good size and solid build to hold up on the outside; dangerous with the football in his hands, attacks the ball in air well, and contributes as a punt returner. He’s active with his hands and physical in coverage, beats up receivers in-route and does great job locating the football. Felder feathers with slight hesitation as a cover 2 corner, looking much more natural and comfortable when playing man coverage. He is a very good man coverage cornerback that turns and locates football well. He contests very well at the point of the catch, getting his hands on a lot of passes. He has ball-hawking, safety mentality and impressive ball skills| soft hands, good tracking skills, and body control to make difficult grabs

Lamar
Andre Bevil- QB
Bevil is a highly efficient passer in no-huddle offense; works better when offense is run at a high tempo. Has athleticism and mobility to slide in and out of the pocket, avoiding pressure with ease. Similar build to Pat White, former WVU QB, in that he’s long, lean, and light. Accelerates quickly to top speed, crisp and balanced in cuts as a runner. Standing at 6’2, 175 lbs, Bevil needs to stack on more pounds in order to handle the beating he will receive at the next level. Another AFL/CFL prospect that will garner more attention from scouts than Laquinton Caston for his better height, arm strength, and pocket presence.

Marcus Jackson, WR
Jackson is a big time playmaker that is dangerous after the catch. A smooth runner with 4.4 speed, he plays like Titus Young/Desean Jackson with the ball in his hands. Thin, lean frame, but good length and long strides, he’s a weapon in return game, as well as on offense. Jackson does a great job of consistently making the first defender miss, setting up/breaking down defenders in space

J.J. Hayes-WR
Hays is a physically imposing target that has a powerful build and excellent length. Effectively uses his big frame to body up and shield defenders from the football. He possesses long muscular arms, powerful hands, and maintains very good body control for his size. Hayes is tough to bring down after the catch. He’s strong bodied and subtle in his juke moves.

Southern Utah
Tyler Osborne, DE
Tyler Osborne is a hybrid DE/OLB who has spent much of this year with his hand in the ground due to lack of depth up front. He doesn’t have great size or strength for a DE so he projects as more of a stand up ‘backer. Osborne is a good athlete with impressive tenacity and closing speed. He doesn’t “wow” you with his speed but he displays a quick first step and is relentless. He is dangerous as an edge rusher but is still raw in terms of hand usage and overall rush moves. In coverage, Osborne shows adequate instincts but has some stiffness in his hips and struggles to redirect with fluidity. He is a very strong tackler who rarely lets ball carriers slip through his grasp.

Brad Sorensen, QB (Junior)
Junior quarterback Brad Sorensen has been consistent and productive all season. The former BYU Cougar leads one of the most prolific passing attacks among west coast FCS schools. He doesn’t have elite size but he’s an athletic quarterback who can extend plays with his feet. Sorensen possesses above average arm strength and shows adequate accuracy on short and intermediate routes. Sorensen is accurate on the move and can fit the ball into tight spots when needed. He can improve on his touch, especially on deep routes. Sorensen has lost some discipline in his overall decision-making this year, forcing many more throws than he did as a sophomore.

Austin Minefee, RB
All-purpose back Austin Minefee had another very productive game against Northern Iowa this weekend in which he made significant contributions as a runner, receiver, and returner. His lack of size definitely limits him in what he can do on the field but he shows above average elusiveness and patience as a runner and natural hands as a receiver. Also, he is averaging almost 30 yards per kick return this year and has converted two for touchdowns.

Merrimack
Shawn Loiseau, ILB
While I haven’t seen his most recent game from this past weekend, I was able to catch-up on past film for him, and I was more impressed than I thought I’d be. Loiseau stays low as a tackler and comes downhill in a hurry. While he can be overaggressive at times and doesn’t have the great hips or speed to recover at times, he’s very instinctive as a blitzer and run stuffer, fights well in traffic, and has dominated his competition rather consistently.

Dixie State University Red Storm
Joe Don Duncan, TE
Joe Don Duncan is a Junior TE for Dixie State University.  Although Duncan is a junior I spoke with coaches in the GNAC and they said that Duncan is one of if not the biggest mismatche in the conference.  At 6-4 270 he posses great size and is a physical blocker.  Duncan does need to work on transitioning out of his breaks.  He displays average straight line speed but does a good job of catching the ball with his hands.  Duncan has shown good hand placement during run blocking.

Humboldt State University Lumberjacks
Lyndon Rowell, RB
Running back Lyndon Rowell had the second highest rushing day in GNAC history with 246 rushing yards.  As always Rowell displayed great lateral quickness, balance , and explosion.  On Saturday Rowell looked as if he was the best athlete in the stadium.    Rowell also set the GNAC single season rushing record with 1,417 yards and set the record for the most career rushing games in the GNAC with 14.