SI All-American Candidate Marcus Burris Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: DE Marcus Burris
Projected Position: Defensive End
Status: SI All-American candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-3, 260 pounds
School: Texarkana (Texas) Pleasant Grove
Committed to: Texas A&M
Frame: Thick upper-body and torso with big shoulders and sturdy arms. Fairly wide-waisted with thick thighs and bubble.
Athleticism: Power player who’s game is based around his strength. Has fair first-step quickness to reduce ground versus offensive linemen. Shows very good point-of-attack strength and shock value with heavy mitts in his punch. Reliable to set edges naturally versus reaches. Strength to shed compensates for adequate short-area quickness to close and finish on ball-carriers.
Instincts: Plays with a good feel for blocks and schemes. Alert for screens and cut-blocks. Relishes second blocks and is capable of train wrecking in the run game. Reacts well versus playside-pulls. Flashes ability to rip inside arm to clear and square hips when cornering when pass rushing. Displays consistent thump at collision points when finishing.
Polish: Currently plays on the left and right side, usually as an end in 5-0-5/4i-0-4i fronts. Also has seen time as a 3-technique and both end positions in 4-man fronts. Aside from rushing with power, his hand-usage toolbox consists of mainly a swim move and a club-and-rip to cross faces inside. Needs to improve twitch and snap quickness, along with short-area quickness in the chase phase. Must expand his pass-rush toolbox.
Bottom Line: Burris isn’t a flashy player, yet he’s productive and reliable thanks to his strength, point-of-attack power, and ability to set edges. He’s more comfortable reading and reacting than he is attacking upfield. He fits best as a 5-technique DE in a defense at the next level with 2-gapping principles versus the run and doesn’t ask him to be its primary pass-rusher.