For the second time this week, UofL Football and Coach Bobby Petrino got a commitment from a 2019 in-state recruit. 3 Star ATH Anthony Adkins, from Larue County High School in Hodgenville, gave his pledge to UofL.
110% Committed #GoCards 💉⚪️🔴🐔 @tone4130 @lsa0205 pic.twitter.com/w4JpNG4tA6
— Anthony Adkins (@anthonyadkinss) June 16, 2018
Adkins chose UofL over offers from Army, WKU, and Bowling Green. I expect more offers will likely roll in for him, so it is good UofL was able to lock him in before other schools come a calling.
Adkins is 6’3 222 lbs and has lined up at quite a few positions for Larue County. In his Hudl highlights, he lined up at primarily RB, but also at TE, slot receiver, and S.
For his size, Adkins is fast. His speed was the first thing that jumped out to me. He blew by defenders as a receiver and as a RB, he showed flashes of breakaway speed.
Adkins has a high motor. Whenever he had the ball in his hands, he would always fight for extra yards and would never go down easy.
His hands are excellent as he caught the ball with ease. As a receiver, he showed good route running and would catch the ball with his hands, never letting it get to his body. He also did a very good job of tracking the ball in the air.
As a RB, he is big, physical runner. He’s shifty in the hole, but is primarily a one cut runner. He has plenty of speed to break big runs. He’s very good at seeing a hole develop and hitting it.
The only defensive highlight was him at S. It appeared to be a single high formation. Adkins was playing centerfield. He read the QB’s eyes on a pass play and put himself in position for an interception.
UofL recruiting Adkins as an ATH allows them flexibility to find a spot to use his size, speed, and athleticism while also allowing him to find a spot where he can flourish and get playing time.
I could see UofL keeping Adkins at RB. Yes, RB Aidan Robbins just committed. However, we know Bobby has utilized multiple backs before; allowing each to have enough playing time to showcase their talent. Who can forget the 3 headed monster Coach Petrino had with Gates, Shelton, and Bush. Adkins vision, speed, and ability to break tackles would be a valuable asset as a RB.
It is also very easy to envision Adkins playing WR or TE. After all, he’s a good route runner with good hands and catching skills. His ability to track the ball in flight is good and, oh yeah, did I mention he’s fast? Not to mention Adkins measurements of 6’3 222 lbs are close to those of Devante Parker.
As a S, I didn’t get to see much. However, the size, speed, and catching ability can easily translate to that position. Adkins isn’t afraid of contact and he plays a physical style as it is.
As big as he his, Adkins could likely put on a few more pounds if called upon to do so. That opens up the possibility of playing OLB or even DE. I can only speculate what he could do at those positions. I’d think some of his skills as a RB could help at both those positions. As a OLB, he could be a neutralizer when covering TEs in the passing game. As a DE, with his speed, I could envision him being a nightmare for some poor OT to try to pass block.
Regardless of where he lines up, Anthony Adkins is an underrated football player that Coach Petrino and his staff will definitely find a way to utilize effectively. It’s also another step in trying to win the state in 2019 recruiting.
