Scouting Max Richardsons senior film

Max Richardson's senior film is out and the College Park (Ga.) Woodward Academy linebacker has had an impressive senior year.

The future Eagle has put recruiting behind him and is locked in with BC, so he told EagleAction.com recently, and it could be that his earlier commitment has afforded him the focus necessary to play at the highest level possible.

Scouting Richardson

Closing speed is one of the marks of Richardson's game. While the inside linebacker is a dying breed in today's game at some places, Richardson gives pause to that theory. He patrols the middle of the field and when you watch him on film there really aren't any questions about his size. He doesn't have great length but his wing span does look better than his listed 6-foot height would lead you to suspect, and he's got a great composition in terms of muscle mass.

But it's when you couple that impressive physical make up with the way he flies after the ball -- that's when Richardson really becomes impressive.

He's not a linebacker that's just made a killing shooting gaps or blitzing downhill. He's demonstrated that he can read the quarterback's eyes, that he can flow to the ball, that he can pick his spots. And he does that 'mental' part of the game with a natural speed that's not forced. It doesn't lead to him overpursuing or playing 'too fast.' He just flies to the ball.

When the ball goes into the flat or the running back breaks outside Richardson reacts with excellent speed and plays much faster than any listed forty time we've seen or heard.

His sideline-to-sideline ability is better than that of a lot of inside linebackers and that's probably one reason the BC linebackers like him. He'll give BC a lot of speed in the middle of the field and because he's demonstrated solid hips and eyes in coverage he should be an asset in coverage there, whereas many inside linebackers aren't.

It's not going to take a long time for Richardson to get his body 'ready' to contribute; at least not as long as it will for some other players. He's not a project. It'll just be about picking up the defense and adjusting to the ACC game where his speed is more the norm rather than above average.