SI All-American Candidate KeyShawn Spencer Highlights and Evaluation

KeyShawn Spencer is a running back prospect from Palm Bay Senior High School in Melbourne, Fla. Spencer is an SI All-American candidate.

Prospect: KeyShawn Spencer
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 5-foot-10, 181 pounds
Position: Running Back 
School: Melbourne (Fla.) Palm Bay Senior
Schools of Interest: Florida, Florida State, Maryland, USF, Georgia Tech, West Virginia, UAB and UCF, among others.
Projected Position: Running Back

Frame: Small and compact. Above-average width in upper body considering diminutive stature. Slender, tightly-wound legs with under-developed trunk. Ample room for more mass and muscle. 

Athleticism: Home-run threat with a seam. Impressive speed, but better burst. Slippery. Rare ability to sustain speed while cutting. Light feet. Great body control; runs through arm tackles. Flashes soft hands. 

Instincts: Refuses to go down on first contact. Great vision, often reating running lanes that weren’t there. Routinely makes first defender miss. Shows patience in backfield when necessary. 

Polish: Good footwork and technique in backfield. Plays low. Ability to contribute as blocker largely unknown; size could be an issue. Needs more experience, comfort as weapon in passing game. 

Bottom Line: Spencer lacks the natural size needed to be an every-down back, but that hardly means he won’t be a dynamic, impactful playmaker at the next level for multiple seasons. Should see the field early as change-of-pace back, and has All-Conference ceiling depending on versatility added as pass-catcher.