In-State DB Greg Rubin Commits to Memphis
The Memphis Tigers have become one of the premier Group of Five programs in the country under former coaches Justin Fuente and Mike Norvell. New Head Coach Ryan Silverfield has been a part of the process the Tigers went through to build themselves to this point, and he knows what the formula for continued and greater success looks like.
During their stretch of success, the Tigers have made good use of pipeline schools they can tap into, have recruited players with specific skill sets to fit their systems on offense and defense, and they have done a good job of keeping West Tennessee and Memphis-area talent home. The Tigers know that if they wish to repeat as AAC Champions, their offense must keep putting up points, and their defense has to continue to be scrappy and force turnovers.
Today, the Tigers followed their recruiting model and kept a talented Memphis local at home despite pushes from SEC schools in Memphis (Tenn.) White Station High School defensive back Greg Rubin.
The 6’1” and 185-pound Rubin is currently rated as a high three-star prospect that could see his grade rise further with a strong senior campaign. Rubin is valuable because he brings the size and skill set to play multiple positions in the secondary, comfortable on an island as a corner or playing at either safety position. The toughness and edge that Rubin brings to the table defines his game wherever he lines up.
At 6’1”, Rubin is a tall, rangy corner. His long arms help him get into a receiver’s body and he has the size and strength to jam them effectively and knock them off routes. Rubin is not intimidated working in press coverage, and brings a technically sound physicality out on the edge that disrupts receivers. Rubin uses his hands well, delivers a hard punch, and makes receivers uncomfortable and frustrated.
As a tackler, Rubin hits hard and delivers much stiffer blows than most corners, but does so while wrapping up well. The White Station product doesn't miss many tackles wherever he lines up, and he punches above his weight in terms of how he hits receivers. As a safety, Rubin can play either a centerfield roaming free safety, or move down in the box to support the run in a strong safety role. He is a willing run defender and shows, especially at safety, an ability to get through blocks and contact to bring down opposing ball carriers. Rubin brings a bit of old school toughness to the middle of the defense, timing hits to separate receivers from the ball well, doing so legally, and making sure he sends a message with them.
Most of Rubin's game comes back to his versatility and physicality, but those strengths are supplemented by the rest of his skills. Rubin has enough speed to run with most any receiver he will see in the AAC, and those that he may struggle with, he is strong enough to re-route, put off balance and off schedule, and then turn and run with. At corner, Rubin shows good technique honed both on Friday nights with his White Station teammates, but also with his PPA 7on7 team. Playing with PPA, Rubin was asked to work in practice against some of the best receivers in the country, four-star Isaiah Brevard of Southaven among them, as well as some of the best receiving prospects in the country at tournaments.
Playing press, man-to-man, Rubin matches up well with these excellent receivers. He has the talent and size to re-route them, then turn and run with them, but he has the technique to run with them in-phase, to keep himself in position to break up the pass, and the ball skills to time his jump correctly. Rubin is comfortable drawing a quality receiver as a corner, something the Memphis staff will be glad to add to the roster.
As a safety, Rubin can roam the middle of the defense allowing him to process what he sees, then let his speed get him where he needs to be to make plays. Rubin can cover a lot of ground sideline to sideline, or needing to show his recovery speed to get back if he does misdiagnose a play. He brackets receivers well when asked to serve as deep help, covering like another corner over the top. Rubin is as apt to rattle a receiver with a big hit as he is to go up for an interception. He keeps receivers guessing and can impact their game by getting in their head.
Rubin brings good size and long arms to the defensive backfield, and he reads the offense and breaks on balls well. His size gives him a chance to force turnovers against even taller receivers, and to punish quarterbacks that are off target or under throw balls. Rubin is also able to line up as a safety a take a wide receiver, tight end, or running back in man coverage. He plays and has the coverage skills of a corner, so applying that skill at safety is not an issue. This is an asset especially against spread teams or when blitzing from other spots on the defense.
The Tigers are landing a young man in Rubin that fits the template of the type of player that has helped them be so successful. The Memphis defense thrives on creating turnovers and delivering big hits. They are aggressive, and like to bring pressure from all over the defense. Rubin is so valuable in this scheme because as a safety, he can take the receiver normally covered by a blitzing corner. He can play the free or strong safety role, or he can walk down and cover a receiver at the line. He gives new defensive coordinator Mike MacIntyre a real chess piece, a young man he can leave on the field all game long, but can play multiple roles within the defense.
Rubin's nose for the ball and the edge he plays with are also characteristics that typify recent Tiger defenses. Rubin is a versatile, technically sound, intelligent, and confident player that should plug in early to the Memphis defense. Rubin also represents a big recruiting win for Silverfield, as the White Station Spartan chose Memphis over offers from LSU, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Duke, Tulane, and Southern Miss.