Virginia Tech Football 2015 Recruiting Class First Look: Mook Reynolds

Based on how well Kyle Fuller defended the run and covered from the whip spot, I believe Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster envisions a defensive system with five defenders in the secondary that can cover man-to-man, play zone, blitz and successfully operate as either edge or alley defenders against the run. Such a system doesn't limit a player's responsibility to the position of corner, rover or free safety. Instead, as we saw this season, at any given moment corners could be responsible for deep zones on one side, while setting the edge on the other side. Any combination of a corner, nickel and free safety could have either force/spill responsibility or play the alley. It makes it incredibly difficult for a young quarterback to identify the best matchups, and gives Foster the ability to disguise coverages and bring pressure from all over.

The toughest position to fill in that system is the new-age whip linebacker. While I can't recall Foster specifically saying that he is phasing the whip position out of the defense, the proliferation of spread offenses necessitates the need for a player at whip with corner caliber coverage skills who can both set the edge and be a free hitter against the run game in order to defend effectively. Lack of experience and dependability forced Foster to move Kyle Fuller inside, and Fuller played magnificently at whip. Kendall Fuller assumed the role in 2013 and was an immediate game changer as far as taking away quick slot receivers against spread teams. Against the run, he was dependable, but long term it proved wasteful to have the best natural cover corner on the team taking on offensive linemen. In the 2013 offseason, Foster spoke glowingly about Chuck Clark at the Northern Virginia Hokie Club Chalk Talk. Clark provided Foster with a bigger, more physical body that could slide inside and play whip in a base defensive look, while still having the ability to cover slot receivers. Clark was outstanding in run support and after some early struggles, proved himself to be very capable in man coverage in that role. Injuries to Brandon Facyson forced Foster to move Clark to field corner

With Brandon Facyson returning Clark could be freed up to move back to the whip position, or Foster could consider moving Clark to a safety spot if talented but inexperienced players like C.J. Reavis, Anthony Shegog, Holland Fisher and Desmond Frye can't win the job. If Clark moves to safety, early enrollee Mook Reynolds will have an opportunity to compete immediately for playing time at whip / nickel.

Mook Reynolds is a 6-0, 168 pound cornerback from Northern Guilford High School. As I noted in my review of Reynolds' junior film, Mook spent most of his time around the line of scrimmage playing as a safety/linebacker aligning to the short side of the field, much like the Hokie rover position.

Reynolds, despite his small frame, is a terrific tackler around the line of scrimmage with a unique ability to slip blocks. He also excels in robber coverage, where he aligns showing man coverage, reads the quarterback, and then undercuts routes to make plays. His incredible ball skills, honed as a wide receiver, allow him not only to find the football but created turnovers with his great hands and technique. Much like Holland Fisher, Reynolds hype as a corner rose rapidly in recruiting rankings after several strong performances in seven-on-seven camps. Reynolds is versatile. In an interview with The Key Play, Reynolds said, "I'm being recruited to play corner, but the rover / strong safety look is definitely a look that can be in my future. I'm being recruited to kind of fill in for Kyle Fuller, and do all the similar things that he's done."

The Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl, a high school all-star game that also featured Hokies commitments Dee Fullwood and Dwayne Lawson, provided a glimpse into Reynolds ability in man to man coverage against FBS-caliber wide receivers. The rules of the game only allowed the defenses to play two coverages: man free (man-to-man coverage with a deep free safety) or cover three zone. Reynolds played exclusively at left cornerback, meaning that he was located where a right-handed quarterback can see him in coverage better than the right corner. Both the East and West squads ran the ball much more than they passed, so Reynolds had the opportunity to perform both coverages "on an island" where a mistake would jump out on film.

Reynolds demonstrated that he can project to also be a true corner in the Virginia Tech defensive system. His primary weakness is that he is a little tight in his hips and sometimes appears to have a big trouble closing on a receiver breaking behind him on a go route (imagine Clark against Ohio State). I think he recognizes that weakness, and smartly compensates by turning and running a little earlier when his cushion is threatened. Much like C.J. Reavis in his high school film, you can see that Reynolds puts his body in position to make the proper play.

Let's take a look where he is responsible for the deep area outside of the hashmarks (called the "a deep third".) The West squad has the proper route (a curl) in front of the deep zone.

Reynolds' (No. 21) best trait in coverage is his ability to plant on his backpedal and come forward. In this case, Reynolds plants with almost seven yards between him and the receiver while the football is halfway to the target. When the receiver makes the catch, Reynolds has closed the space. He delivers a perfect form tackle. He is low, with his head to the side and arms wide open to corral the receiver. He then wraps his arms perfectly. For those of you looking to teach young kids how to tackle as a defensive back, this clip would serve as an excellent tutorial.

For those of you wondering why Reynolds gave so much cushion, take a second look at the route design and the coverage by No. 31 in the slot. This is a cover three look, meaning Reynolds has to be deeper than the deepest man from the hash mark to the sidelines. The slot defender should have the short flat, but one of the two receivers goes into Reynolds' zone. (You can't see which receiver, but when the camera follows the football you can see a receiver breaking deep while the other curls up in front of Mook.) Reynolds has to account for him before coming up in run support. Looking at the design, this is probably a coverage bust by No. 31.

One could tell that Reynolds would be solid positionally and would be a willing and effective tackler based on his high school film. I couldn't tell if he could cover well enough to play on an island in Bud Foster's defense. This tape gave us some answers. Based on the film, Reynolds is much stronger playing tight inside leverage man on short pass routes. For example, here Reynolds is playing inside leverage man free. That means he defends from inside-out on any out breaking or outside release pass routes, while he must try not to let the receiver cross his face to the inside.

Reynolds plants perfectly as the receiver turns to break outside on the quick out. Reynolds then uses the hand closest to the quarterback and furthest away from the receiver to deflect the pass. Why is this important? If Reynolds tries to push through with his left hand, he contacts the receiver and would be called for a pass interference penalty. Despite doing everything perfectly and making an amazing play, the officials (who were not terrific) called pass interference anyways. I can assure you it wasn't.

This was a beautiful break on the ball, but it wasn't perfect. Reynolds started his backpedal very quickly, and if you watch very closely, his feet cross over slightly as he turns his hips to the outside when he starts his backpedal. That cross-over step causes a brief loss of balance. A physical veteran wide receiver that is looking to cut to the inside would not only be able to cross Reynold's face on a dig or slant route, but if there was incidental contact Reynolds would likely lose his balance, leaving the receiver wide open. This is a minor criticism, especially for a player who is still learning how to play man coverage against top wide receivers, and I am sure Coach Gray will make this a focus area in spring ball.

In the same coverage, go routes with an outside release are a little more problematic. Here are two examples.

Reynolds takes a small false step towards the line of scrimmage before the snap, and the receiver gets deep into Mook's cushion before he turns and runs.

Reynolds does a nice job of recovering and is almost stride for stride with the receiver down the far sideline. The official throws a flag for pass interference, but I think it was a ticky-tack call. (Reynolds and the receiver's arms may have hit, but the Hokies defensive backs often utilized far more contact downfield than this and were rarely penalized.) My concern is at the end of the play, the receiver seemed to gain a step of separation right as the throw arrived. Brandon Facyson stood out as a freshman because time and again he closed that gap at the last moment. Later in the game, the same thing happens on a similar route.

Again, the receiver (who may have gotten away with a little bit of a push off) gets separation with that last stride before the pass arrives. When the Hokies play press coverage, it is critical for the man covering the slot receiver to be stride for stride on an outside release fade route because the center field safety has too far to go to provide help. If the receiver beats the defender, the defender has to be close enough to either take a pass interference or put the receiver on the ground. Again, this is a tough assignment for a corner to master in a short time.

While it didn't stand out as much (mostly because man and cover three coverages make it very difficult for corners to provide much help in run support), Mook also struggled a bit to get off option stalk blocks against big receivers. I think that is a bit of a product of the coverage and the size differential, and the receivers were able to get away with some serious holding, but a spring of effective strength and conditioning work will help prepare Reynolds for those physical battles. Keep in mind, if Reynolds starts out working as a whip/nickel, he will likely have the opportunity to match up with Bucky Hodges. That is a big time test for a young corner.

For those of you who regularly read my columns, you may find this analysis to be a bit more critical than some of the reviews on last year's signees. My feelings are exactly the opposite. I think Reynolds will be a star in Blacksburg, and his diverse skill set is perfectly suited to Bud Foster's defense. When you get an opportunity to see every snap rather than just highlights, it gives you an opportunity to get a full picture of the player. EVERY player has room for improvement, and Mook's skill set and track record of success indicate that he will develop his strengths and improve his weaknesses. As Foster continues to create his concepts for adjusting to spread and Air Raid schemes, Reynolds will be a valuable asset in 2015 and beyond.