SI All-American Candidate Tiaoalii Savea Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: Tiaoalii Savea
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-5, 250 pounds
Position: Offensive Tackle/Defensive Line
School: Las Vegas (Nev.) Desert Pines
Schools of Interest: USC, Florida State, Arizona State, Oklahoma, TCU, Miami, Florida and Michigan, among others.
Projected Position: Offensive Tackle or Guard
Frame: Solid length in arms with sturdy chest and broad shoulders. Good-looking torso and midsection. Stout lower half through thighs and calves. Has room to chisel, carve and add more mass.
Athleticism: Being recruited both as a defensive lineman and offensive tackle. Has good movement skills and athleticism. Gets off with good snap quickness from defensive front to reduce ground. Plays tough at the point and relishes contact. Has ability to escape and cross the face of blockers to pursue ball-carriers with good angles. Good bend as an offensive tackle. Can climb and scrape to offer very good second-level production in run game. Has ability to adjust in tight space to hit his target while on the move.
Instincts: Good eyes to mesh points to consistently find ball as a defensive lineman. Can see through traffic and trash. Will hunt flat to ball in long pursuit. Uses a 45-degree set in pass-protection with solid hand placement in his initial punch. Alert and aware for delayed blitzes and stunts. Effective short set with toughness and grit to engage and sustain.
Polish: Raw player at both positions with much room to grow, refine and develop. Plays both ends and tackle on defense, and lines up at 5-technique and 4i, along with some 2i and 3-technique work. Needs to vary his hand usage and technique at both positions. Relies on bull-rushing as a defensive lineman, though will flash a club-and-rip. Gets antsy in pass-protection and has inconsistent punch timing. Over-extends at times and can have a soft shoulder and limited anchor versus power. Will need a redshirt year and time to progress at either position.
Bottom Line: Savea appears to be summoning more interest as an offensive line prospect at this point. He has a developing frame to go along with athleticism and natural knee bend. However, he is nowhere near a finished product. Savea will need a patient position coach and good strength and conditioning program to maximize his game. He has the potential to develop into an athletic offensive tackle or guard in an offense that features zone concepts in its rushing attack and a quick 3-step and 5-step passing game.