Carlos Strickland recruit scouting report: Big-play wide receiver

Carlos Strickland is a top wide receiving prospect in the class of 2015, and is receiving high interest from a variety of major programs.

Strickland attends Dallas (Texas) Skyline High School, and is listed at 6’5 and 194 pounds. He is projected to play wide receiver at the next level.

The prospect is considered a consensus four-star recruit, given that rating by 247Sports, Rivals, Scout and ESPN. Scout is highest on the player, considering him the 10th-best receiver in the class, while Rivals is right behind at 11th. The 247Sports Composite, which aggregates the ratings of all four major recruiting services, considers him a four-star recruit, rating him as the 17th-best wide receiver in the nation and the 25th-best player in the state of Texas.

Strickland claims offers from California, LSU, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, Alabama and Illinois, among others.

With 33 catches as a junior, Strickland was not he most productive receiver in the state, but he did take considerable advantage of those opportunities, scoring 10 touchdowns and averaging nearly 22 yards per catch.

On film, Strickland looks faster than he has tested, though his ability numbers are good. At a Nike event, a ran a 4.72 40, with a 4.28 shuttle, and a 28.7-inch vertical.

Strickland is a vertical threat who can run by defenders despite his lack of ideal testing speed and is especially effective in the red zone on fade routes, as his height, length, and solid leaping ability make him a mismatch for cornerbacks who give up a lot of size to the Skyline receiver. Able to finish plays because he can extend outside of his frame to make catches, Strickland has good enough hands to make difficult catches while twisting or diving for the football.

Besides his physical attributes in the red zone, he does a nice job of shaking defenders at the line of scrimmage by using the agility that tests well in the short shuttle. However, he may have to become more physical with his hands to beat press coverage in college, as he typically doesn’t have to use them in high school.

Strickland’s size also makes him effective on man-beater routes like slants. The same size makes him an effective blocker, as his combination of effort and physical dominance allow him to plant opposing players.

The biggest weaknesses in his game are his route-running ability when he has a change direction, like out routes, deep comebacks, and square ins and he’s not a dynamic player with his change-of-direction after the catch either. However, he does do a nice job of picking up extra yardage with the ball in his hands with good vision.

Strickland’s pure speed and need to refine his route running may limit him in college, but his other attributes should give him a chance to remain a threat on deep passes and in the red zone.