Scouting Report: Baldwin, Howard, Sturges
SMU cannot be the first school to offer every prospect in Texas, try as it might. When an athlete like Starrland Baldwin Jr comes around, coaches are eager to recruit him and SMU is the latest to get in on the action. The class of 2018 cornerback from Houston now has nine offers after SMU sent one his way last week.
Baldwin reeled in three interceptions last season for Cypress Falls High School, but his biggest contribution comes on special teams. The three-star rising senior is an elite return man in the kicking game, particularly on punts. His speed is enough to excite any coach but his vision and lateral movement is what makes his skillset stand out. His moves will also translate well into college. Baldwin does not dance around inferior opponents with superfluous moves while his blockers set up for him, something that would get shut down quickly by college level defenders. Instead, Baldwin cuts with a speed and quickness that allows him to get up field fast, where his speed takes care of the rest.
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound corner can play his position well too though, as evidenced by his 33rd positional rank in the nation and fourth in Texas according to Rivals. Baldwin can run with outside receivers and even smaller, more agile slot receivers. One might expect a punt returner to shy away from contact, but Baldwin does a good job of wrapping up receivers and keeping his feet moving through tackles.
Quarterback might be one position SMU has a lot of depth at going into next season, but that is one spot where teams cannot afford the cupboard to go empty. To prevent this, SMU has become the second team to offer class of 2018 prospect LeJohn Howard.
The New Orleans (McDonogh 35 High School) thrower is gifted with a strong arm. Standing at 6-foot-2, 176-pounds, Howard is big enough to stand tall in the pocket and deliver balls downfield with accuracy. Throwing with a high arm slot helps Howard get even more velocity on the ball which is one of his biggest assets, and his solid throwing mechanics add to his accuracy.
Howard can move around in the pocket to avoid pressure but he is not a scrambler. More similar to Ben Hicks than Matt Davis, Howard is athletic enough to keep plays alive but he is not a runner who happens to be able to throw.
Howard will have to continue to work on his footwork to start at the next level but with an arm like his, he is someone that can be molded into an asset behind center.
SMU was hit hard with injuries to the running back position in 2016 and it may be turning to a local high school for help. The Mustangs are among the latest schools to offer Allen High School runner Brock Sturges a scholarship.
The three-star back possesses very good speed and makes use of it in the open field. Sturges’ change of direction in the second level is what separates him from an average runner to a quality one. Standing at 5-foot-10, 195-pounds, Sturges has the build to break through tacklers, a very rare skillset for a player with his speed.
Sturges is a ‘full-speed-ahead’ running back, reminiscent of SMU’s Braeden West. He might benefit from allowing his blockers to set up before he hits the hole but with his speed, perhaps its better to attack the defense as soon as possible because when he reaches the second level he becomes a mismatch. Another benefit Sturges could bring to SMU is a comfort in handling the ball out of the shotgun formation, which is where he lined up almost exclusively in his junior year at Allen.
Sturges holds offers from fellow AAC teams Tulane and UConn among McNeese State, Nevada and Stephen F. Austin.