SI All-American Candidate Makai Cope Highlights and Evaluation

Makai Cope is a wide receiver prospect from Culver City High School in Culver City, Calif. Cope is an SI All-American candidate.

Prospect: WR Makai Cope
Projected Position: Wide Receiver 
Status: SI All-American Candidate 
Vitals: 6-foot-2, 190 pounds 
School: Culver City (Calif.)  
Schools of Interest: Stanford, Arizona State, Kansas State, Michigan, USC, Utah, UNLV and Northwestern.

Frame: Slender but dense build with ideal arm length. Long, sprinter-like legs. 

Athleticism: Cope can stop and start on a dime, and use his long strides to high step last-ditch arm tackles he just created for himself. He covers 10 yards in his first five strides off the line; he’s explosive from zero momentum. No surprise he has a track background. 

Instincts: No stranger to the middle of the field, frequently running crossing routes and weaving through traffic on tunnel screens. Unaffected by contact immediately after the catch. 

Polish: He’ll be making a big leap in terms of the level of competition at the next level, but he did have success during one-on-ones at various unpadded camps. His skill set and high-point ability are most effective out wide and deeper downfield on 50/50 balls. 

Bottom Line: Cope isn’t fast-twitch, but has enough juice in his feet to work for his style of play. We’ll be on the lookout for more precise route running in his senior season, and, of course, that signature sidestep.