Sebastian LaRue Recruit Scouting Report: Elite Athlete Offers Versatility

Four-star “athlete” Sebastian Larue, a 5’11, 185-pound prospect from Santa Monica (Calif.) High School attended USC’s skill position camp on June 100. After a full day of matching himself against some of the top talent in California, the Inglewood native earned an offer from the Trojans. Larue, who by his own admission didn’t necessarily grow up a USC fan pondered the offer for over 10 days before pulling the trigger and committing to Trojans on June 21.

Last season, Larue, who transferred to Santa Monica High from Orange County powerhouse; Lutheran, caught 55 passes for over 900 yards and 12 scores. On the other side of the ball, Larue picked off three passes, returning one for a score. Larue became the 10th pledge of USC’s 2013 recruiting class, selecting the Trojans over programs such as Arizona, Arizona State, Washington, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Michigan, Oklahoma and UCLA.

Larue is listed as an “athlete” by most recruiting services. This is due to him lining up all over the field as he takes snaps at receiver, cornerback and safety; in addition to returning kicks and punts for his high school team.

Larue could see his earliest playing time on special teams for the Trojans. He has a compact build that, combined with his speed, generates deceptive power that belies his 5’11 frame. Larue is more explosive than he is fluid so he may project best at returning kicks for USC, as he quickly gets north and south and is routinely able to run through arm tackles and side-step pursuers in the open field. His physicality also makes him a very effective player in the defensive secondary for his high school team.

Lined up at receiver, Larue does a great job of attacking whatever coverage is employed against him. Facing press, he utilizes a great first step to gain a clean release off the line and get into his route. When working against off man coverage, Larue will stem his route vertically. Once the defensive back’s cushion has been broken down, Larue likes to use a jab step with his inside foot to create separation for the “out” cut. On in breaking routes, Larue shows savvy in using his initial burst to again sell the threat of him getting vertical. Once he’s gotten a defender rocking back on his heels, he’ll stick his outside foot into the ground, crossing the defender’s face at an angle to get to the post.

Larue plays a bit bigger than his listed height. His sturdy frame will likely enable him to hold up versus press coverage. And though it might be a question as to how well it will translate to the college level, Larue is an effective weapon in goal line situations in terms of competing for jump balls in the end zone.

For more on Trojans football, visit USC blog Conquest Chronicles, plus Pac-12 blog Pacific Takes and SB Nation Los Angeles.

Sebastian LaRue Junior Season Highlights (via basuno5)