Florida State football commit analysis: Sam McCall scouting report

Florida State Seminoles football fans got a Sunday surprise when Class of 2022 blue-chip defensive back Sam McCall committed to Florida State.

The addition to #Tribe22 brought the Seminoles into the top 10 of the 247 Sports Composite Team Rankings.

McCall is a dynamic playmaker out of Lakeland, Florida and ranked as a 5-star athlete. McCall profiles as a cornerback or safety in the FSU defense, but could be another two-way player. McCall is a blue-chip athlete that brings the ceiling of the FSU roster way up.

Let's take a look at some clips to see what he brings to the field.

Scouting Report

Physical with Active Eyes

It’s fun to see a player comfortable in press coverage. You often hear kids say they like to press, but McCall actually gets in his opponent’s face and looks to dominate receivers at the line of scrimmage. The technique on the jam isn’t perfect, but he re-routes nicely and then reads the quarterback and routes to drive on the slot. This is pretty impressive for a junior in high school and shows some of what makes McCall so highly thought of. We know how much FSU likes to press boundary WR:

Pace

I can hear you furiously clicking away on your keyboard, typing “Alright, Coach, this isn’t a physical trait that you always talk about in scouting reports.”

I know, I know, but just hear me out here. Football is a game of pace, and it’s important that players can play well within that pace.

What is pace? Well, every play happens at a certain speed and players must fit into that. Look at the clip below. The offense is trying to work a double-move, but McCall stays patient (he trusts his eyes and technique), allowing him to smother the play. There are plenty of players who are in a big rush and get beat. You see McCall in position throughout his highlight clip, and he shows good pace on both sides of the ball:

Balance

Balance is a trademark for elite players. Dalvin Cook is one of the most special football players I’ve ever watched and his balance was insane. McCall possesses this physical gift, as well (not saying he possesses Cook-level balance). McCall is always within his frame, allowing him to have a foot in the ground at all times. Look at him take hits to his legs, spin, and stay upright. This is just special physical ability and one of the reasons McCall plays with the aforementioned pace. Whether it be on offense or defense this balance is going to be big for McCall to take the next step in his development: