2022 – OLB – CJ Hicks – Archbishop Alter, OH – 6’4.5 / 215
247 Rank: National - 38 / LB - 3 / OH – 2
Commitment – Ohio State University
Name/Location/Date/Time of film for evaluation – Junior SZN – Hudl – 1/22/2021 – 6m 59sec
Physical Attributes – CJ is a tall, long levered, gifted, athlete with a ton of god given ability. A freak of sorts. Twitchy, can run, can change direction, great balance and body control for size with great burst and acceleration. He shows spatial awareness, ability to adjust to the ball and good hands. This is an overall athlete with a high, high ceiling. He will develop physically. Another Jamie Collins type body.
Position Specific Skills – Cj shows great initial quickness and get off with great balance and body control. He shows excellent ankle flexion and can change direction. He shows explosiveness in his speed rush and with the ball in his hands. Being a 2-way player amplifies his potential on the defensive side of the ball in terms of his versatility. It highlights his true athletic ability. CJ is an excellent blitzer and shows he is a great pass rusher along with an ability to cover. Those skills are hard to come by. They are even harder to come by from a 6’4.5 athlete with the potential to be 245lbs+. This is an instinctive, tough football player with the physical tools to outmatch most opponents he goes against.
Overall – CJ will be as good as he wants to be. The harder he works in the weight room, the stronger he gets, the more he works on his short area quickness, the more he prefects the craft of being a hybrid outside linebacker, the sky is the limit. This is a defensive coordinators dream player. Line him up at ILB, then line him up at OLB in space, then line him up at DE with his hand in the dirt, then line him up at DE standing up. That is what I see CJ as. A big, long, athletic freak who can play any position in the front seven and do it at a high level. I can’t believe there are 37 players better than him in America. A huge upside with top draft pick physical traits and the film to go along with it.
Paul GonnellaPaul is the CEO and Co-Founder of THE PROCESS Football Recruiting. His 10 years of experience as the Director of Player Personnel at Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, Miami, Purdue, South Florida, and Memphis make Paul one of the best evaluators in the country.
