Manti Te'o

Hometown: Honolulu, HI (Punahou HS)

Height: 6'2"     Weight: 230

Position: LB

Teams Of Interest

Auburn, BYU, California, Colorado, LSU, Notre Dame, Oregon, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA, USC

The Skinny

2007 Honolulu Star's state Defensive Player of the Year

The Analysis

Physically, Te'o has few equals in the 2009 class. He is very well-proportioned with a tall and rangy but very thick and powerful frame.  His strength and power are evident in all aspects of his game. He is great at filling running lanes  and forcing ball carriers the direction he wants. He plays with a solid base and square shoulders that allow him to take on bigger, more powerful blockers with ease. He also shows solid technique when it comes to slipping past or shedding blockers.

At 6'2" and 230 pounds, he is surprisingly quick and explosive. He has the feet and agility to be a very productive running back. His straight line speed is well above average and he can get to the edge as a runner. This translates as sideline-to-sideline ability at linebacker. His speed and agility will allow him to flow all over the field and make plays. It also means that Te'o is a terror of the edge while on the blitz. He is certainly at his best when on the attack.

In pass coverage, he should excel. He has great hips and balance so zone drops should not be an issue. His great strength and hands, combined with his great athleticism, will make him very competitive in man-to-man situations with tight ends and bigger running backs.

Te'o will need work on his reads and recognition, however. Play-action, counters and screens may give him problems early on as it will take time in a college scheme for him to refine his diagnostic skills.

Te'o has been receiving awards for some time now. He was the Kahuku JV Defensive Player of the Year in 2005 and has been superstar ever since. In 2006, Te'o was a second team all-state selection. In 2007, he was named 1st Team All-State LB by the Honolulu Star Bulletin and Honolulu Advertiser as well as the Honolulu Advertiser ILH Defensive Player of the Year. He also garnered 2007 Gatorade and Honolulu Star state Defensive Player of the Year honors.

2007: 90 tackles, 5 sacks, 400 yards rushing, 10 touchdowns

Disclaimer: These videos are from a public media site and are in no way produced or edited by Athlon Sports.

Return to the Consensus 100

Check out the Athlon Sports Recruiting Blitz Podcast

---

Del.icio.us | Digg it | Athlon Sports RSS Feeds

Go Deeper

> ESPN Profile (Premium)
> PrepStar Profile (Premium)
> Rivals Profile
> Scout Profile