SI All-American Candidate Evan Branch-Haynes Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: Evan Branch-Haynes
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-2, 270 pounds
Position: Defensive Tackle
School: San Francisco (Calif.) Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep
Committed to: Arizona
Projected Position: Interior Defensive Line
Frame: Wide shoulders and thick arms. Round, loose torso with big bubble.
Athleticism: Quick at the snap with good body flexibility to slip through creases/entry points and get clean. Has strength to fight through and over-power anchors. Has some shock value at the point and can shed quick to get clean. Good short-area quickness to reach runners. Prefers to finish with a gator tackle.
Instincts: Accurate initial punch and hand placement at the point of attack to win initial leverage battle. Can punch and peek when asked to 2-gap. Flashes a subtle feel for quick doubles and has good ball-location skills. Can jump on top of OGs when rushing and use strength and leverage to walk back man to passer.
Polish: Plays 0, 1, 3 and 4i-technique across the defensive front. Effective at both gap-penetration and 2-gapping in static fronts. Works with a high hat at times. Needs to expand his pass-rush toolbox, as he relies heavily on bull-rush at this point.
Bottom Line: Branch-Haynes is an interesting prospect with versatility. He has enough strength to be responsible for two gaps, yet he also has enough quickness to penetrate. Branch-Haynes can play as a quicker new-school nose tackle or work as a 3-technique in a 4-man front.