Shepard continues to impress
Tee Shepard made a name for himself at the Palo Alto NIKE Camp this spring and the 2012 defensive back from Fresno (Calif.) Central East continues to impress during his junior season.
It's really no surprise.
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Shepard, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound prospect, has all the natural skills to be a standout defensive back in college and Central East coach Casey Quinn said if Shepard hits the weight room hard this off-season that Shepard's potential could go even higher.
"He's a player," Quinn said. "He has great eyes. He can read pretty fast and he's very, very physical even though he's not a strong kid yet.
"He needs a pretty good off-season in the weight room to get better. He has great hips and he has great feet. He has great hands so he has all the intangibles. The one thing he needs to do is get a little bigger."
Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Notre Dame, Oregon and UNLV have offered Shepard, who could use a few extra pounds on his frame but still hits people with ferocity and is physical at the line as well. Quinn said the Irish have especially been showing a lot of interest recently.
If things go well this off-season - and there's no reason to think they won't because people close to Shepard say he's hardworking and wants to be the best - then even more national programs could start recruiting him.
Quinn said Shepard might grow into a safety - he plays cornerback now - but that's a good thing because the Central East standout will be nimble enough to play in coverage or big and strong enough to come down and attack running backs.
"I see him as a safety probably at the next level because he has great eyes and he's pretty physical," Quinn said. "He can be a safety that's a cover guy or he can come down and make something happen."