Tobias Merriweather: Scouting Report
Size
Tobias Merriweather is a tall receiver with long arms who will be a difficult match-up for most cornerbacks. He is still on the slim side, but has room to add some bulk, which will help him with more physical defensive backs. Merriweather has the size to create mismatches by default and put the offense at an advantage.
Athleticism
Merriweather has a long stride and can put pressure on the defense vertically with his speed. He is a smooth athlete for his size and changes directions efficiently for such a tall receiver. Merriweather takes a second to get to top stride but has good burst when changing speeds and can find another gear to pull away. He has a strong athletic profile that will make him a tough cover.
Route Running
Merriweather uses his athleticism to get open with ease. He is efficient out of his breaks and has the speed, burst and change of direction to separate from defenders. Merriweather doesn’t need a lot of space to be considered open because of his size and body positioning. He is effective at all levels as he shows the ability to get deep, work the middle of the field and be effective in the screen game.
Ball Skills
Merriweather has a tremendous catch radius and is natural catching the ball. He also displays good body control and can adjust to the ball to make tougher catches. Merriweather does a good job of catching the ball away from his body then securing it in traffic to keep defenders from making a play. His ball skills make it easier for the quarterback and help make positive plays where there otherwise would not be.
Run After Catch
Merriweather is effective running with the ball and does a good job on screens and in the return game. He is smooth picking his way through the defense and has the burst to pull away from defenders and enough change of direction to force bad angles. If he gets stronger, Merriweather will be tougher to bring down in the secondary and become even better with the ball in his hands.
Projection
Tobias Merriweather is mismatch on the perimeter and can hit big plays with his athletic ability. He has a large catch radius and great hands that allow him to excel at the receiver position. Merriweather’s length, speed and hands will help him develop into a starter for an upper echelon power five team.
For scouting reports on other Notre Dame commits visit the team page.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Gear
For more content like this don’t forget to subscribe to our website for free.
For the latest content follow us on twitter @saturdayscfb & @cfbsaturdaysC or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CFBSaturdays.
