Class of 2015 DB/CB Kielan Whitner (GA) Signed LOI

[bnoro]

I have a good feeling about this addition to the class. I hate to use a basketball reference but could he be footballs Hakim Warrick and Najee Clayton the Julius Hodge of 2015? Clayton's decision just reeks of "poor judgement".

Clayton was going to be brought in as a LB/S hybrid, don't think we'll see that from Whitner.

 

[Libero2]

Buttresses my argument against an early signing period.

Glad to have Kielan onboard =D

Did you just use buttresses on a football message board? This is gonna go over like our discussion of Stevens AP Physics class haha

 

[CuseLegacy]

Did you just use buttresses on a football message board? This is gonna go over like our discussion of Stevens AP Physics class haha

Wait I missed that...are those flying buttresses.

 

[wfschrec]

Watching his highlights I see good things. He didnt have a bunch of Power 5 offers because he doesnt show alot of speed. What he do show is great hips. Ive coached DB's for along time and the first thing I look for in a DB is hips. He transitions in zone coverage very well. Whitner has a smooth fluid back pedal too. He takes good tackling angles but he needs to do a better job at finishing tackles. What he looks like to me a another Darius Kelly but with out the speed. I think he can also play corner because of his hips but he is probably best suited for safety. Coaches know what they are doing. He can be the Alec lemon of defense

So Shakira what you are saying is that the hips don't lie?

 

[Whitey23]

Eh, doesn't excite me.

Fluid hips or not the kid is slow for the top tier ACC teams. Also, how much backpedaling to safeties do?

 

[djorange1989]

I have a good feeling about this addition to the class. I hate to use a basketball reference but could he be footballs Hakim Warrick and Najee Clayton the Julius Hodge of 2015? Clayton's decision just reeks of "poor judgement".

Anything involving Rutgers reeks

 

[chakka3421]

Eh, doesn't excite me.

Fluid hips or not the kid is slow for the top tier ACC teams. Also, how much backpedaling to safeties do?

4.5 40 is slow? 4.4 shuttle? Hmmmmmm...question really is how quick he is - fluid hips allows a kid to change direction quickly when a WR runs their route.

We will find out soon enough. Hope you get to eat your words

 

[Whitey23]

4.5 40 is slow? 4.4 shuttle? Hmmmmmm...question really is how quick he is - fluid hips allows a kid to change direction quickly when a WR runs their route.

We will find out soon enough. Hope you get to eat your words

I hope so too, but i never trust timed speed numbers from recruits. Have to watch the tape and he doesn't play fast.

 

[CuseLegacy]

All_Sportss_Editss‏@allsportseditss 7m7 minutes ago
 Edit for @twitty_whitty25 he is the newest Syracuse Commit for the '15 class, follow him he is… http://instagram.com/p/ylDDt-Se9V/

 

[Deano]

Trey Dunkelberger @TreyDunk11 · 5h5 hours ago
@Twitty_Whitty25

 

[money3189]

So Shakira what you are saying is that the hips don't lie?

Funny you say that. shakira is my man defense. I call it that just to remind the kids that we are in man and their eyes should be on the WR hips

 

[VaSaltine]

Kielan Whitner @Twitty_Whitty25 ·
Proud to say I've officially committed to further my education at Syracuse University

#Orange #ACC

It's refreshing to see a prospect make a point of furthering his education as his decision for committing. I can't recall seeing a Twitter announcement being phrased like he did.

 

[CbusCuse]

Eh, doesn't excite me.

Fluid hips or not the kid is slow for the top tier ACC teams. Also, how much backpedaling to safeties do?

We needed another safety in case Blair doesn't make it here or even if he does you never know how he may do academically.

I wouldn't exactly say he excites me either as I think he is lacking top shelf speed. But I wouldn't exactly say he's slow either. He does seem to have a lot of other great qualities though. He looks to haveh great hips as Money mentioned, looks like he has great instincts with angles and when to make a break on a ball, and also has fantastic ball skills for a DB. I wouldn't be surprised if he develops into a solid contributor but probably a bit more of a gamble than the others.

 

[wfschrec]

Funny you say that. shakira is my man defense. I call it that just to remind the kids that we are in man and their eyes should be on the WR hips

I think you should only use Shakira if Manning calls Omaha ... however I would like to know what you put together for your Tonya Harding package.

 

[Libero2]

Trey Dunkelberger @TreyDunk11 · 5h5 hours ago
@Twitty_Whitty25

That tyke is kinda weak compared to Pickards... Treys gotta step his game up!

 

[RoofBeam]

I am not sure I am watching the same film as the people complaining about this kid. I saw excellent ball skills, sure tackling, excellent anticipation, good closing speed and good open field speed- he ran away from some people as a wide out. You can't really make a judgment without knowing the level of competition but he is a very fluid athlete whom I can imagine having success at the safety position at SU.

 

[sutomcat]

Good post.

I think sometimes we value athletic ability and raw speed over other attributes that are just as important. Intelligence, discipline, ability to recognize patterns and react, use of good fundamentals taking angles, making tackles, etc.

I won't name them but we have had a few great athletes at safety in recent years whose production at Syracuse maybe wasn't as great as you would think, given their athletic ability.

Some of our best safeties ever, guys like Quentin Harris and Markus Paul, weren't great athletes but they were exceptional smart players. I think he is a great player to take a risk on; if he can make some small improvements in what he can do physically, his other attributes could really allow him to shine after a couple of years in the program.

 

[PhatOrange]

with tomcat on this. He's a good player to take a flyer on. Ive always valued smarts 1st and toughness 2nd over speed when it comes to safeties. I do like big safeties but as long as it's not a 5-8 kid it's fine. Whitner lists at 6-1 180 so lets say he's 5-11 with the ability to play at 190. As long as he's a good centerfielder and can hit then he doesnt need to be a speed demon.

 

[domedog]

It's refreshing to see a prospect make a point of furthering his education as his decision for committing. I can't recall seeing a Twitter announcement being phrased like he did.

I agree. This is much better than "bringing my talents". Reflects what he will receive rather than what he will give (which may, or may not, be a lot).

 

[domedog]

I am not sure I am watching the same film as the people complaining about this kid. I saw excellent ball skills, sure tackling, excellent anticipation, good closing speed and good open field speed- he ran away from some people as a wide out. You can't really make a judgment without knowing the level of competition but he is a very fluid athlete whom I can imagine having success at the safety position at SU.

The kid played in AAAAAA, the top tier of football in Georgia. In other words, he played against top drawer talent.

 

[GoSU96]

Cameron Lynch worked out pretty well.

 

[VaSaltine]

I think part of his deceiving speed is that he has very long strides which makes it appear that his legs aren't moving very fast. But when you watch him moving and closing on the ball he does so very quickly.

 

[SUFan44]

Cameron Lynch worked out pretty well.

Similar type players too. A half-step slow, a tad undersized (although I don't think this kid is by most metrics) but smart and know how to play football. Sign me up.

 

[Self_Estime]

Similar type players too. A half-step slow, a tad undersized (although I don't think this kid is by most metrics) but smart and know how to play football. Sign me up.

When we're getting guys like this (Dungey, Whitner, etc...) who are getting offers from Ivy league schools and the military academies I cant be any more excited because the academic aspect is not of concern... Plus a tad undersized is more valuable than a tad ineligible and stuck on the sidelines.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

It's refreshing to see a prospect make a point of furthering his education as his decision for committing. I can't recall seeing a Twitter announcement being phrased like he did.

As we know, no one ever furthers their education at the University of Syracuse! I have to say, I liked his phrasing as well.