SI All-American Candidate Leo Blackburn Highlights and Evaluation

Leo Blackburn is a tight end prospect from Westlake High School in Atlanta, Ga. Blackburn is an SI All-American candidate.

Prospect: TE/WR Leo Blackburn
Projected Position: Tight End
Status: SI All-American candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-5, 217 pounds
School: Atlanta (Ga.) Westlake
Committed to: Georgia Tech 

Frame: Tall and rangy. Average width across shoulders, chest. Long, sinewy arms. Developing, tightly-wound thighs and trunk. Plenty of room for mass, muscle as needed depending on position. 

Athleticism: Fast at top speed. Long-strider, with lacking burst and acceleration. Quick feet, but not especially quick in and out of cuts. Very good leaper; impressive aerial body control. Great hand-eye coordination. Plays with power. 

Instincts: Effortlessly tracks ball downfield through traffic. Imminent jump-ball threat; capable of contorting body in midair for difficult catches. Hands catcher. Middling RAC threat without a seam; lacks wiggle to make defenders miss. Willing, effective blocker. 

Polish: Promising route-runner, but must expand tree. Mostly subsists on vertical routes and stops. Needs to vary release off LOS. Accomplished blocker on outside, but has no experience as in-line tight end. 

Bottom Line: Blackburn’s height and weight scream tight end, but he has enough speed to justify a future outside at wide receiver. The bet here is that he keeps growing into his body, pushing him toward tight end at Georgia Tech. Projects as surefire contributor and likely starter for Yellow Jackets, with star-level ceiling hinging on development at new position.