In his first day on the recruiting trail as coach of the Longhorns, it didn't take Charlie Strong long to strike. On a visit to Arlington Bowie, Strong met with four-star safety/linebacker Edwin Freeman. Before the end of the visit, Freeman committed to Texas.
About Freeman
Freeman is an imposing figure that offers a unique skill set to a defense. Listed as a safety, the 6-1, 215-pound prospect could play linebacker or strong safety. Early in his career, Freeman played mostly defensive back before moving to linebacker his senior season. In Orlando at the Under Armour All-America practices, the nation's No. 134 prospect overall in the Rivals250 looked surprisingly natural at linebacker. He took on blocks well, showed a nose for the football, took good angles to ball-carriers, and his experience at defensive back allowed him to move very well in coverage as a linebacker.
Could he play safety? He could in the right system. However, Freeman is probably best-suited in a hybrid role that allows him to play closer to the line of scrimmage and use his speed off the edge, his strength and instincts in the running game, and his ability to confuse quarterbacks because of the ability to drop deep into coverage, or create problems by staying with tight ends, receivers, or linebackers.
What does this mean for Texas?
This is a very nice, early recruiting win for Strong and the Longhorns, and Freeman is the type of prospect that should fit well into Strong's multiple looks on defense. Plus, the four-star prospect becomes the third highest-rated prospect in the class, and Texas had to go to battle against the likes of Texas A&M.
This post was edited on 1/16 3:27 PM by DustinMcComas
About Freeman
Freeman is an imposing figure that offers a unique skill set to a defense. Listed as a safety, the 6-1, 215-pound prospect could play linebacker or strong safety. Early in his career, Freeman played mostly defensive back before moving to linebacker his senior season. In Orlando at the Under Armour All-America practices, the nation's No. 134 prospect overall in the Rivals250 looked surprisingly natural at linebacker. He took on blocks well, showed a nose for the football, took good angles to ball-carriers, and his experience at defensive back allowed him to move very well in coverage as a linebacker.
Could he play safety? He could in the right system. However, Freeman is probably best-suited in a hybrid role that allows him to play closer to the line of scrimmage and use his speed off the edge, his strength and instincts in the running game, and his ability to confuse quarterbacks because of the ability to drop deep into coverage, or create problems by staying with tight ends, receivers, or linebackers.
What does this mean for Texas?
This is a very nice, early recruiting win for Strong and the Longhorns, and Freeman is the type of prospect that should fit well into Strong's multiple looks on defense. Plus, the four-star prospect becomes the third highest-rated prospect in the class, and Texas had to go to battle against the likes of Texas A&M.
This post was edited on 1/16 3:27 PM by DustinMcComas
