Photo Courtesy of Michael Reaves/Lexington Herald Leader
Many people on social media wondered why UofL was not getting in on some highly rated guys we have in the city of Louisville. One name in particular that kept coming up was Jairus Brents, a 4 Star CB out of Waggener High School.
Well, wonder no more UofL fans as Coach Petrino was able to swoop in late and beat the likes of Alabama, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Michigan State, among many others for the 5’10 178 lbs CB.
Brents played a variety of positions at Waggener. He was a RB, QB, and WR. However, his best and most likely position in college will be CB. He can play either in the slot or the outside and is great at either.
He’s also a track star which, as you will see, definitely contributes to his play making ability as a football player.
As a CB, and probably because he played WR as well, Brents tracks the ball perfectly in the air. He’s always getting his head around, finding the ball, and making the play.
Photo Courtesy of Adam Creech/Courier Journal
Brents also has great ball skills. He’s a great leaper and can go up and highpoint the ball just like a WR.
Brents can play press or off coverage and is adept at either. In press, he is powerful. He knocks WRs viciously off their routes disrupting the timing of the offense. In off coverage, he has the speed to break on short routes to either knock the ball down, intercept it, or make the tackle holding the WR to a minimal gain. If Brents gets an interception, his speed, quickness, and agility make him a threat to get a pick 6 every time.
Brents ability to recognize routes and read the QB’s eyes make him nearly impossible to throw on. As I previously mentioned, he’s great at breaking on routes and making plays. He’ll have to be aware in college of the double moves teams love to run though.
Brents is also a great tackler. Even if the WR he’s covering catches the ball, they aren’t getting past him. He loves helping in the run game. His highlights show numerous plays of him coming in and tackling RBs. They aren’t weak tackles either. He wallops the RB.
Brents is also a punt returner and he’s a really good one. Once again, his speed quickness, and agility make him a threat for long punt returns. However, he is a bit of a gambler as he picked a couple of punts up off the ground to return them which obviously can be a dangerous proposition.
UofL got a very good player in Brents. The guy has potential to be a stud. His ability to return punts and play either in the slot or on the outside as a CB make him potentially invaluable. Plus, it’s nice to see a Louisville kid play for the city’s university.
Check out his Hudl highlights below and see what you think.
http://www.hudl.com/video/3/4526814/57fa913e3bd81463c4767039
