Sam Reed 6'2,171LB WR/DB Class of 2019 John Carroll Catholic HS (AL) - All-American Report

Sam Reed has been nominated as a Scout Trout Early Selection All-American because of his ability to completely take the top off a defense as well as his outstanding ball skills used to go up and win toss-ups that are won or lost in the air. Standing at 6'2,170LBS with about 10 more pounds of added muscle, Reed will be a big time deep threat at the division one level. Coming out of the backfield, while lined up at the H-Back position on his first play of his highlights, Sam is able to run one of Scout Trout's favorite routes–the wheel or the out-and-up. Reed is able to execute the route to perfection. After the catch, Sam is able to drag the defender a couple extra yards and shows great grit and determination in his overall style of play that is highly conducive to heavy production at the next level. Sam shows the ability to adjust well to the ball in the air and is able to locate under thrown footballs to prevent a disaster and often make a big play. But when his QB is not pressured and throwing off of his back foot, Reed can be found being hit in perfect stride. I believe, with his long stride and athletics, we can easily get 1 to 2 tenths of a second off of his 40 yard dash time. Even though Jerry Rice ran a 4.6 in his 40 yard dash, this is equivalent of being drafted in the 6th or 7th round of today's NFL Draft or going in the 1st or 2nd round. Sam gets up field very quickly in the screen game and has very good acceleration, as he is also not afraid to lower his shoulder and plow forward for extra yards. Sam can be seen around 1:08, winning a 50/50 ball and shows remarkable concentration to finish the catch. Sam averaged over 20 yards per reception this season, and when you watch how soft his hands are when catching deep, over the shoulder throws, you see the All-American athlete that Sam is and why we have selected him as an early nomination for our All-American Bowl weekend.  Reed is an excellent blocker out on the edge. Once he engages, he knows how to finish his block, as seen a few plays later in his highlights. He runs at an extraordinary speed out on the next play, then proceeds to line up at Defensive back on the next play, and completely unearth the opposing receiver. You can see Sam high-pointing a spectacular interception, as he leaps completely over the receiver to create a turnover for John Carroll. Sam Reed would make a great free safety at the next level, as he gets great depth in coverage and is able to break on the football with great overall instincts. His "HOG TIED" tackling form is one of the best I have seen in how aggressively he is able to sweep the base out from a ball carrier. He completely "KILLS THEIR LEVERS", as Scout Trout likes to say. All in all, Sam Reed demonstrates exactly what it takes to compete at a high level in the world of collegiate football. I cannot be more excited that he has accepted his Scout Trout Early Nomination for our 2019 All-American Bowl!  

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