Vernon Hargreaves III is one of the top football recruits in the country. A cornerback recruit out of Tampa (Fla.) Wharton High School, Hargreaves is the best football player in the Bay area, and has been so since the 2011 season. Wharton stands 5’11” and checks in at 185 pounds. He holds offers from almost every major school in the country and is a consensus five-star recruit.
Vernon Hargreaves III Scouting Report: Plug-And-Play Starter At Corner
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It’s difficult to put together a scouting report for Hargreaves because he does pretty much everything at an elite level. His father is the defensive backs coach for the USF Bulls, and it is clear that he has absorbed much of the advanced coaching he’s received since he was a little kid. Hargreaves could start for many BCS programs as a 17-year-old.
Hargreaves seems to always be in the right position, thanks to his instincts and years being around the game. He does break on the ball quite well, but if you watch closely, you’ll see that he doesn’t have as far to go to get to the spot as many corners because he’s positioned himself better before the time comes to close on the football. There aren’t many false steps in his game.
Hargreaves shows the ability to be quite physical and is a very good tackler. He can excel in man or zone coverage, with his smooth hips and quick feet.
Perhaps the only question on Hargreaves is his development at the next level. While a very good athlete, he's not a freakish athlete in the Deion Sanders or Patrick Peterson mold, and does not have the elite long speed of some corners. It's not clear how much better Hargreaves will get.
Still, Hargreaves is the surest bet at the cornerback position in a long while, and is deserving of top billing at the position.
While we’re here, let’s watch some college football videos from SB Nation’s new YouTube channel together:
