Scouting Lummie Young
In this feature, DevilsIllustrated.com takes a much closer look at defensive back commitment Lummie Young.
Late in May, the South Carolina product gave David Cutcliffe and his staff a big verbal commitment. Ranked as a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, Young carried offers during the process from Cal, Georgia Tech, NC State, Wake Forest, and others. More below:
Strengths: When you see Young in person, the first thing that stands out about him is his size. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 190-pounds, he definitely is impressive on the hoof. Watching him at camp over the summer, his frame is thicker than one would anticipate based on film study.
That size, as well as Young's skill set, gives him the ability to play in a variety of roles in the secondary. He could likely play a free or strong safety in college, or factor in as a nickel-type defender. He's willing to come down into the box to fill against the run, and at his size, he can hold up there taking on blocks and being physical to stop ball-carriers.
Young has been very productive during his high school career intercepting passes, with a knack for being in the right place at the right time. He's an opportunistic player who appears to be at his best playing a "centerfield" type role as a safety. On film, he shows the ability to play zone, read the quarterback's eyes, and break on the football. Young is an intelligent young man, and that intellect appears to carry over to the field with the decisions he makes and positions he is able to get himself into on the field.
Areas for Improvement: It's been said that the "easiest" positions to make an early impact in football are defensive back on the defensive side of the ball and wide receiver on offense. For that reason, a player with skill and football IQ like Young could very well play as a freshman in the secondary and/or on special teams.
As with any player, Young will have to adjust to the speed of the college game. Everything will move faster, and the opposing players are bigger and more physical. In terms of body composition, Young will be ahead of the curve there but will still need to become more explosive and stronger as would any freshman defensive back.
Young does have some scheme versatility with what he can do and depending on how he's utilized, perhaps he does not see a ton of one-on-one coverage situations in college. As noted before, he does a great job on film of reading the quarterback downfield. It's not as clear how he can hold up in man coverage, whether he's asked to do that as a safety or as a nickel-type player. He can run, but does not look to have elite speed. Flipping his hips and running with talented receivers will be something he will need to improve on in transitioning to the college level.