Commit Fit: Safety
Sometimes it’s not always the highest-rated prospects that fit the best with the school of their choice. In this series we call Commit Fit, Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell picks five players at each position he thinks fit seamlessly into the schemes at the schools they’ve chosen.
Today we look at safety.
RELATED: Commit Fit: QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DE | DT | LB | CB
A hard-hitting, rangy safety who can cover like a corner and loves to support the run going to LSU? That’s a fit if I’ve ever heard of one. Stevens and Grant Delpit could be a terrific combination as the LSU defense continues to be aggressive and produce great defensive backs.
Okudah has shown he can play cornerback, free safety and potentially strong safety if he continues to get bigger. His instincts are excellent and he’s a sponge when it comes to learning. Plus, athletic safeties like Vonn Bell and Malik Hooker have excelled at Ohio State, and Okudah has better coverage skills than either out of high school, so you know he will be developed by the Buckeyes' staff.
Pat Narduzzi is a defensive coach who has had success developing defensive backs at Michigan State and now at Pitt. Teaming Ford with athletes like Jordan Whitehead and Damar Hamlin will only make the 2017 Rivals100 standout better. Pitt wants to play more physical, and this is the guy to help that in the secondary.
Delpit is longer and has a bigger frame to grow into than Stevens, so I could see him dropping down to strong safety while the more athletic Stevens plays free safety. Both players cover a ton of ground with their length and speed and Delpit is just scratching the surface of his potential. He will take longer to develop, but could be just as good or better in LSU’s scheme.
A talented defensive back who likes to play physically heading to Nick Saban’s defense? That’s a fit for sure. McKinney could be the next great defensive back for the Tide and perhaps play a role similar to Minkah Fitzpatrick as a versatile athlete who can play corner or safety as the situation dictates.
