Everybody is looking for the next basketball player turned football star. Mike Norvell and Florida State are no different, as they reached into Tennessee to find Markeston Douglas. Douglas was a basketball player who was convinced to play football by teammate Darion Williamson and the Haywood High School staff. He found success at tight end and burst onto the recruiting scene late.
Here’s the thing about Douglas: what is his future? At 6’4 255 pounds, is Douglas a TE, or a potential developmental tackle at the next level. One could argue his upside is at tackle, but that’s yet to be determined. For the purpose of this scout, we’ll analyze him as a TE prospect.
Let’s take a look at his game.
SCOUTING REPORT
- Big and physical
6’4 255 and can move? That checks a lot of boxes immediately. Douglas is a big, physical body working the middle of the field and after the catch. It takes multiple defenders to bring him down, wearing on defensive backs as the game progresses.
What jumps out most, though, is how well he moves for his size. He has great feet, balance, and change of pace speed which is rare to find in a player his size. He has a high level of athleticism that you like to see.
Douglas has good body-control, too, while making plays on the ball. His basketball background jumps out when watching him contort mid-air to make a catch.
See the following clips and be the judge:
2. Awareness
It’s rare for a player who hasn’t been involved with the sport long to understand his position so well. Heading into this scout, my expectation was to see a big athlete running out of control, but in the following clip it’s the opposite:
Watch as Douglas settles in the void and presents a big, appealing target for his quarterback. That’s something many players struggle with, but Douglas grasped quickly. There’s a pace and patience necessary to be good as a tight end, and Douglas seemingly possesses that skill. It’s also fun to see him bulldoze players after the catch.
I look forward to seeing Douglas develop at FSU—wherever that may be.