SI All-American Candidate Steven Ortiz Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: Steven Ortiz
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 5-foot-10, 170 pounds
Position: Defensive Back
School: Goodyear (Ariz.) Desert Edge
Committed to: Minnesota
Projected Position: Ortiz plays in both the boundary and to the field on the defensive perimeter, inside at nickel and some safety for his high school team. He likely will be a versatile defensive back in college who can play free safety or boundary corner.
Frame: Athletic frame with solid muscular definition. Will easily add mass and more bulk to his 170-pound frame in a consistent college strength-and-conditioning program.
Athleticism: Good feet in pedal with solid hip flexibility. Very good quickness in his plant-and-drive and willing to fight ball-carriers at the point of attack to finish. Appears to have good wire strength with surprising point-of-attack explosiveness to shed receiver and squeeze the line of scrimmage vs. run. Shows good timing and leaping ability to attack balls in coverage.
Instincts: Confident and competitive, Ortiz plays with very good awareness, vision and coverage instincts. He’s at his best in off-man and zone coverage, where he can read routes and use his instincts and quickness to drive on routes. He has good ball skills and is a willing blitzer from the perimeter.
Polish: Possessing instincts, awareness, vision and swagger, Ortiz will find a niche for himself in a secondary after some collegiate seasoning. He must continue working fighting to stay square as long as he can in press-man coverage, refine his catch-man coverage technique and strength to be a consistent college tackler.
Bottom Line: Ortiz is a feisty, tough and versatile defensive back who could end up playing multiple positions in a secondary before he leaves college. His confidence and instincts are his top traits. He fits best in a defensive scheme that features off-man and multiple-zone coverage concepts on the backend.