Mike Farrell Sports

College Football Recruiting, Opinion, and Analysis

Scouting Williams Nwaneri, Jaylen McClain, & Other Top Uncommitted 2024s

Lead scout Steven Bailoni drops his latest scouting reports on big time 2024 prospects Williams Nwaneri…

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Williams Nwaneri – Edge

Lee’s Summit North, MO

National edge prospect garnering attention from nearly every FBS conference. Elite frame and very good length with very good explosiveness and strength. Quick and strong initial punch off the snap. Good hand placement, plays with leverage and utilizes his length to get around blockers. Good hand technique to disengage blocks when needed. Shows good mental processing, sets the edge when asked and is patient against teams that use options and RPOs. Breaks down and wraps with good form. Well-rounded pass rush kit, can win with strength and technique. Very good competitive toughness, high motor and bounces back after lost reps.

Straight-line speed needs some work, going to be faster kids than he’s used to playing that he won’t be able to run down. Hips are a bit stiff, doesn’t run the arc with enough bend and can’t flip hips quickly in coverage. Very physical, intense player who would make any program more confident in their ability to pressure. Strikes me more as a 4-3 end than a 3-4 edge.

Gatlin Bair – WR

Burley Senior, ID

Big 12 and Pac-12 target with a confirmed 10.46 100m time his sophomore year. Good frame and very good length with very good speed, good strength, and good vertical. Strong hands off the LOS to fight off press/jam coverage. Uses his speed to quickly gain separation and force DBs to flip their hips early. High-points the ball and has a wide catch radius. Soft hands, can catch the ball even when it’s poorly places. Very good play strength through the catch, hard for defenders to knock the ball out while he catches it. Can use his speed to turn catches over the top into touchdowns.

Marginal explosiveness and short area quickness limit his overall effectiveness in the open field. Stiffer hips than you want to see compound the issue and make it hard to ask him to run any routes with hard cuts. Stereotypical possession receiver that has the straight-line speed as a bonus. A good strength and conditioning program could be the difference between him being a good player and an elite one at the next level.

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Carter Nelson – TE

Ainsworth, NE

Offensive ATH that plays 8-man football and has received offers from Big 12 and Big 10 schools; projects as a TE at the next level. Very good size and length with good strength, speed, and explosiveness. Strong hands and good hand placement on blocks. Drives through defenders. Moves well, can be trusted to pull or reach block as needed. Willing blocker. Soft hands, will catch most things thrown his way. Really understands the rhythm of his offense and catches the ball in stride. High-points the ball and shows a wide catch radius. Utilizes his speed and explosiveness in the open field, quickly bursts downfield and can avoid defenders. Not afraid to lower his shoulder and has the strength needed to run through defenders.

Pedigree of the schools he plays is a big concern. Will likely need some time to adjust to 11-man ball, may prove to be too much going on for him. Much more physically gifted than the teams he plays and may get lost when he cannot rely on his physical tools at the next level. Has all the physical gifts you want and shows decent fundamentals, biggest question mark is how he will transition to the game at the next level. Think it’ll take some time but has a ceiling as the best TE in the nation.

Jaylen McClain – CB

Seton Hall Prep, NJ

ACC and Big 10 target out of one of the premier northeastern schools. Good frame and solid length with good speed, very good short area quickness, and good vertical. Utilizes his athletic ability to remain sticky in coverage through the top of the route. Good timing on when to flip his hips and run with the receiver. Keeps his hands on defenders so he doesn’t lose them in zone coverage. Can see he’s in the opponent’s film and knows when to jump routes. Plays the ball instead of the receiver and gives support in coverage even if it’s not his man/zone. Good mental processing, knows where his safeties should be behind him and when to crash down instead of remaining in coverage. Wraps up instead of going for the big hit; can be trusted to protect the perimeter.

Marginal ball skills, has the capacity to break up passes when he’s smothering the receiver but won’t create interceptions without the ball being thrown to him uncontested. Good player who isn’t the best at anything but not much to get upset about. Solid floor and understanding of the game, would be more than happy with him as a #2 corner but probably won’t be the superstar of the team.

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