SI All-American Candidate Jalil Farooq Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: Jalil Farooq
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-1, 190 pounds
Position: Wide Receiver
School: Upper Marlboro (Md.) Dr. Henry A. Wise
Committed to: Oklahoma
Projected Position: Wide Receiver, Running Back or Slot Wide Receiver
Frame: Thick neck and shoulders. Big chest and solid length in arms. A tight waist and above-average lower half definition.
Athleticism: Posted a 4.36 time in the short shuttle in 2019. Solid fluidity and movement skills. Uses speed cuts at breakpoints to grow gaps on in-breaking routes. Strong hands at catch points with solid leap timing to high-point in crowds and when contested. Very good RAC skills. Creative in tight space and runs with good vision and deceptive functional strength.
Instincts: Release arsenal versus press contains a shuffle and 2-step. He also flashes a stretch release. Solid patience in speed release versus off coverage. Capable of stemming with decent inside lean before working to his redline downfield with the solid discipline to not drift. Solid mental processing and awareness of defenders to not flatten his digs from perimeter to give himself space after the catch. Instinctive in RAC-phase and also has a good feel for blocks as a running back.
Polish: Currently aligns in various spots, including OWR, SWR, and RB. Needs to develop in the nuances of stems and route running. He also needs to increase his hand speed and hand usage in his releases to clear and escape press coverage.
Bottom Line: Versatile and capable of impacting an offense in various roles, Farooq is great with the ball in his hands. He is raw as a route runner, but has a good burst when tracking throws and is creative in the RAC phase. Farooq’s college career may see him play running back, the “Z” receiver position, and also spend in the slot before all is said and done. He could have a similar career to that of Antonio Gibson’s at Memphis.