One of the top hybrid tight ends on the West Coast, Alex Van Dyke holds offers from numerous top Pac-12 schools.
Alex Van Dyke recruit scouting report: Hybrid tight end
Van Dyke is an excellent wide receiver recruit. Here is our scouting report of this star player.
Bud Elliott
Van Dyke is rated as a four-star recruit by 24/7Sports’ composite rankings, making him a top-300 prospect nationally and the 38th-best wide receiver in the 2014 class. Rivals and Scout also have Van Dyke as a four-star prospect, though ESPN has him listed at three stars. He’s also viewed as one of the top-30 players in the state of California.
You can follow Alex on Twitter: @AyeeVD. Film of Van Dyke can be found here.
Derrell Warren, West Coast Recruiting Analyst: Van Dyke is a tall athlete with great length. At first glance, he appears to have average speed but is quicker off the release than his size and angular frame would suggest. Currently listed at 6’4” 205, Van Dyke should easily be able to put on enough bulk to get to in the vicinity of 235 pounds by time his college career is completed.
On film Van Dyke doesn’t run a great assortment of routes and catches a lot of screen passes. This may simply be a function of team limitations at the quarterback position. He isn’t the most mobile athlete, but does a good job using his body to gain inside position on slants. Van Dyke isn’t likely to create separation with quick burst off the line, but will do it more with precise route running, body position, driving away from a defensive back’s leverage.
Van Dyke seems to be well schooled in the nuances of the game. He is physical at the top of his routes and uses his hands to create separation at the break point or to assist him in working his way back across the face of the defensive back assigned to him in coverage. He has strong hands and plucks the ball cleanly off his frame.
Film from Van Dyke this summer revealed a bit more explosiveness to his game not previously seen in his junior film in pads. He ran more vertical routes and showed the ability to elevate, extend and snatch the ball from over a defensive back’s head.
