SI All-American Candidate Deshauwn Alleyne Highlights and Evaluation

Deshauwn Alleyne is a linebacker prospect from Saint Lucie West Centennial High School in Port Saint Lucie, Fla. Alleyne is an SI All-American candidate.

Prospect: LB Deshauwn Alleyne
Projected Position: Off-Ball Linebacker
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-1, 210 pounds
School: Port Saint Lucie (Fla.) Saint Lucie West Centennial
Schools of Interest: Penn State, Auburn, Nebraska and Kentucky, among others. 

Frame: Compact with average length and definition. Fairly-wide shoulders. Sturdy midsection and hips to offer a fair bubble and big thighs. 

Athleticism: All-State wrestler. Good short-area quickness to allow him to trigger in a hurry. Plays bigger than listed size at point. Willing to insert and take-on blocks with surprising explosiveness for size. Has solid speed to hunt and chase with range. Flashes good power versus secondary blockers when blitzing off edges. 

Instincts: Shows good vision to mesh points through traffic. Clicks with good mental processing and second-level awareness with a solid feel for flow. Can weave around offensive linemen with fair lateral quickness and navigational ability before closing on ball-carriers. 

Polish: Usually aligns off-ball and stacked at either Sam or Mike, though works on-ball when blitzing. Undersized and has very limited production in pass coverage. Raw in blitz technique. Limited ability to finish tackles as a solo defender at collision points. Will require a redshirt year to add mass to frame and increase coverage reps/production. 

Bottom Line: Alleyne is a tough linebacker who plays bigger than his listed size when taking on blocks. He works with good mesh-point vision, solid range and is willing insert himself in alleys. While he needs to prove he can factor in coverage, Alleyne fits best as an off-ball/stacked ‘backer as a Will or Mike.