SI All-American Candidate Will Shipley Highlights and Evaluation

Will Shipley is a running back prospect from Weddington High School in Matthews, N.C. Shipley is an SI All-American candidate.

Prospect: Will Shipley
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 5-foot-11, 200 pounds
Position: Running Back
School: Matthews (N.C.) Weddington 
Schools of Interest: Notre Dame, Clemson, North Carolina 
Projected Position: Running Back

Frame: Ideal build for the position, nearly filled out upper and lower half with adequate length and trunk.

Athleticism: Elite three-sport athlete with state titles in football, lacrosse and track. Strong sprinter on the track with verified football times to match, including verified 4.46 40-yard dash and 4.21 shuttle. Goal-scoring midfielder in lacrosse ranked within the Inside Lacrosse top 25 overall in the 2021 class. Explosive prospect with top level acceleration, speed and quickness.

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Instincts: Great vision and one-cut ability with true bounce to avoid first contact. Legit, angle-breaking open-field speed with the patience to allow the play to develop. Toughness to run through contact and maintain balance. Tracks football like a wide receiver in passing scenarios.

Polish: Despite overall athleticism, runs with no-nonsense style with desire to get north-south. Efficient runner who can set up a defender in space. As a pass catcher, can line up away from the backfield and pose a true threat to defense with route-running ability, speed and ball skills. Willing blocker with some physicality. Could round out game with more wiggle.

Bottom Line: Shipley is the top three-down running back prospect in the class of 2021 and will take his game to the highest level in short order. He is a defensive coordinator’s nightmare who can break the game open on a single touch, from any position on the field, as both a runner and receiver. Shipley is a dynamic threat ready to line up as RB1 the moment he sets foot on a major college football campus.