Kalvaraz Bessent is a top cornerback prospect in the Class of 2014. Out of Kingsland (Ga.) Camden County High School, Bessent stands 6’ and weighs in at 170 pounds. He’s a consensus four-star player, and is ranked as the 10th-best cornerback in the current recruiting cycle and the sixth-best player from the state of Georgia, according to the 247Sports composite ratings. Rivals lists him 11th at his position and eighth in his home state, and ESPN has him at No. 7 and No. 4, respectively. Scout says he’s the 16th-best cornerback in the class.
Kalvaraz Bessent recruit scouting report: Great ball skills from a big cornerback
Cornerback Kalvaraz Bessent has some of the best instincts and ball skills of any cornerback recruit in the class of 2014.
Kalvaraz Bessent
As of December, Bessent holds scholarship offers from 11 schools, mostly in the Southeastern United States. They include Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Ole Miss and Tennessee. He also has an offer from Ohio State.
Fans can follow Bessent on Twitter at @kalvaraz.
Derrell Warren, West Coast Recruiting Analyst: Bessent is a two-way player who carries adequate size. He has a slender frame, so most likely there are limits to just how much good weight he’ll be able to add. And while not a burner, he has competitive speed and probably plays faster in pads than he would time in a combine setting.
Although on offense he plays running back in a Wing-T offense, Bessent is also featured as a pass catcher on his high school team. Running the ball is where he gets the opportunity to display his smooth change of direction skills, as he often appears to glide across the field.
Playing cornerback, Bessent is a smooth mover and light on his feet. He possesses good length and once he adds strength it should allow him to be effective in both press situations and re-routing receivers through zones. He isn’t necessarily an elite, quick-twitch athlete, so using his hands at the line of scrimmage and at the top of a receiver’s route stem will likely increase his overall effectiveness in man coverage.
From a technique standpoint, Bessent has a tendency to get a bit high in his backpedal. This leaves him susceptible to being knocked off-balance at the top of the route by bigger, more physical receivers.
Bessent has some of the best ball skills of any player in this class. Running with receivers vertically, he’s able to whip his head around to locate the pass and does a phenomenal job of attacking the football in the air at its highest point, often times reacting quicker to the ball than the receiver. He simply shows greats instincts and ability with the ball in the air. At the next level he may better project operating in a defense that primarily uses zone concepts. Specifically, a Cover-3 type scheme where he isn’t asked to turn and run with receivers, but is allowed to keep his eyes on the quarterback, drive on routes and make plays on the football.
