Rebel Vision 21- Tyray O'Dell- Player Analysis

Photo Credit: Tyray O'Dell

Rebel Vision 21-Tyray O’Dell- Player Analysis

Tyray O’Dell – 6’2 – 210 lbs – ILB – JSerra High School, Gardena, CA

The cancellation of sports in several states has made recruiting more interesting for college teams. The reason being is the lack of senior film for most of the “on the bubble” kids are not available, and coaches have to evaluate talent off of junior year film. While this can be problematic and make it harder for schools to find kids they believe they can rely on, it also gives schools like UNLV a chance to steal talent that otherwise may not have been available before. Players like linebacker Tyray O’Dell are a prime example of this.

The young linebacker from JSerra High School in Gardena, California was still available for Rebels Head football Coach Marcus Arroyo and UNLV’s defensive staff to come in and swoop him up for their 2021 class, and sure enough, that’s exactly what they did.

To say it plainly, this kid is a real ballplayer. His ferocity, relentless pursuit of the ball carrier, the want to be physical and overall explosiveness is next level. It was no wonder that this kid had the likes of Utah State and UNR (Nevada) on his tail. His tape is filled with him running down plays from behind or crossing the field, engaging linemen with the correct shoulder, and driving his feet to run through the block and make the tackle. And he gets there every time with a bad attitude looking to hit somebody out of their cleats. Every part of his tape was great to watch and he will fit in nicely with the other linebackers that UNLV has recruited in the 2022 class that will be a freshman this coming fall.

However, as a coach and evaluator, the one fatal flaw this kid has right now has less to do with athletic ability and more to do with his technique.

More specifically, his feet. In coverage, he has been good at redirecting and locating receivers nearby and sticking to them in coverage. However, that will have to continue to be worked on at the next level. Yet Tyray has very inconsistent feet on his first steps. Often he has false steps (steps that have no purpose and do not get the player any closer to fulfilling their job) that could, on the next level, impact his ability to get to the ball carrier. At 210-pounds, he will have to gain some weight to continue to bring football violence to would-be blockers.

Still, if he continues to false step and tries to out-athlete his offensive competition in the trenches, he will find that linemen at the FBS level are a lot bigger and more athletic than high school. So for him to complete himself as a player, he will have to work on his feet and not waste steps inside the box.

Other than his false stepping, Tyray O’Dell is a steal if I have ever seen one. His tape is fantastic. His physical prowess has major potential for growth. His player attributes will soon undoubtedly help UNLV’s defense against the run (something that was a constant and nagging problem for them last season) as he joins players like Vic Viramontes, Ferrell Hester, Brennon Scott, and Maliki Sanu in Peter Hansen’s defense.

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-JaRon Turner – Franchise Sports Media

Follow JaRon on Twitter @FSMJaRonT

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