Vitals
Name: Steve Edmond
Position: LB
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 225
40 Time: NA
High School: Daingerfield
Rivals Rating: 4*, 6.0
ESPN Recruiting Evaluation ($)
Edmond could be one of the very few players at his position that could step in and start at the major level of competition when his collegiate career begins. This prospect has the size and playing speed to make plays all over the field. Displays excellent flexibility, agility and balance; can line up as an inside linebacker or in an off position. Shows very good K&D recognition skills; his instincts are excellent. Is quick to fill downhill vs. the inside run and can get to the edge showing the ability to take on a defeat blockers or work through traffic with very good balance and burst. This guy is very seldom fooled and if perhaps he is a step out of position his change of direction and recovery skills are exceptional; demonstrates the ability to keep his legs free with the skill to step over low blocks. His athleticism and ball skills show up in pass coverage; appears to have soft hands and does a nice job getting into short / medium drops with fluid hips showing good plant and break on the ball reactions. This is a very good space player, displaying excellent balance and open field tackling skills. Hits a ton when tackling; can knock'em back and punish when the opportunity presents itself. His playing strength flashes one arm tackling potential. We like the flexibility this player allows in setting game plans; can play from a variety of alignments, on or off the line of scrimmage; displays excellent blitz timing and burst to the ball in both run and passing situations and can be a nightmare for opposing QB's. His pursuit habits always get him to the football! This is definitely a candidate for early playing time on special teams. Edmond has the playing speed and athleticism to make an early impact at the major level of competition.
Strengths
This is a player to get excited about big time. Edmond's got all the tools you want in a linebacker at any level of football.
Excellent speed, closing ability, and suddenness, particularly when he's moving downfield and pursuing ball carriers in the backfield. The kind of violent tackler offenses don't want or choose to challenge on a consistent basis. His form tackling is textbook as he wraps up, drives with his legs, and, if necessary, spins the ball carrier down with him to nullify potential broken tackles. The way he sheds or just blows by blockers to get in the backfield and detonate plays is simply silly
That's not to say he's not solid going sideline to sideline though. Steve takes very good angles to precisely and efficiently cut down lateral plays with minimal gain.
Once he gets remotely involved in a play, it's generally all over because he's relentless in pursuit. Edmond also shows solid recovery speed when he gets behind a play, which combined with his athleticism allows him to consistently hunt down ball carriers from behind.
Steve's athleticism allows him to make plays in zone coverage, though I'd like to see more clips of him in man coverage against receivers before I labeled him as a fluid hip-turner who can keep up with a faster TE or slower slot receiver.
Weaknesses
Like his fellow 2011 LB commit Kendall Thompson, Edmond is a hard guy to find fault with. He did spend his high school career as a 2A player, so he'll likely have to adjust to the speed and size of big time college football. Not that 2A football in Texas is worse than most high A's anywhere else in the country, but it's worth mentioning.
To be the ultimate nit picker, I would like to see Edmond exude a bit more fluidity when changing directions to pursue ball carriers, but this is basically so irrelevant I almost feel stupid listing it. The guy is a high school MLB for Christ's sake!
Target Body Type
Edmond already has a very well built body, as 225 is about as big as you are going to find at the high school level in Texas. He's well on his way to 245 without losing much, if any, speed and acceleration. He seems to have a very strong core and the potential to bring ball carriers down with little to no preparation or time to frame up before tackling once he adds a bit more muscle mass.
Final Analysis
There's definitely an argument to be made that Edmond is the both the top prospect in Texas' recruiting class and the top linebacker in the country. He's a borderline 5* prospect and you have to be crazy to not be extremely excited about him. He's probably a middle linebacker from the day he steps onto the campus and has a great chance to be a second stringer next season. Edmond's got all kinds of upside and a real chance to be an All-American at Texas. He's a beast.
Player Comparison