SI All-American Candidate A.J. Kirk Highlights and Evaluation

A.J. Kirk is a safety prospect from Dublin Coffman High School in Dublin, Ohio. Kirk is an SI All-American candidate.

Prospect: A.J. Kirk
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot, 200 pounds
Position: Safety
School: Dublin (Ohio) Coffman
Schools of Interest: Ohio State, Michigan, Minnesota, Purdue, Penn State and Nebraska
Projected Position: Safety

Frame: Good overall size. Broad shoulders and long arms. Somewhat long-waisted. Compact, tightly-wound lower half. Plenty of room for additional muscle as needed. 

Athleticism: Above-average speed. Plants and drives to football with impressive fluidity and acceleration. Smooth cutter; wastes little motion while adjusting on move. Physical, but not especially strong or powerful. Solid ball skills. 

Instincts: Head always up, reading quarterback’s eyes and guard keys. Rarely fooled in coverage as center fielder. Quick to offer support from the deep defensive backfield in the run game. Comfortable tracking ball in the air. 

Polish: Advanced awareness and savvy. Occasionally takes too narrow a path to ball-carrier as a deep safety, risking home run. Played corner as a freshman, but man coverage skills largely unknown. Effective tackler, but lacking fundamentals. 

Bottom Line: Kirk is the younger brother of former Buckeyes star and NFL veteran Mike Doss. A coordinated athlete with adequate size and high-level instincts, he projects as a regular sub-package contributor for a Power Five program at the very least, with starter potential as an upperclassman.