C.J. Avery to Louisville: Cardinals Land 4-Star Safety Prospect

C.J. Avery, a 4-star safety from Grenada High School, committed to Louisville Wednesday.

Avery announced the news on his Twitter account: 

Avery, a 6'1" and 196-pound defensive back, is the No. 22 safety in the country and No. 228 overall prospect in the 2017 class, according to Scout.

ESPN.com's scouting report of Avery suggests he could eventually fill the strong safety/linebacker hybrid role that is becoming popular at the college and NFL levels. ESPN.com believes he may eventually have more upside as an outside linebacker, though he'll need to continue filling out his frame and adding muscle.

Avery has already proved to be flexible from a positional standpoint, as he told Courtney Cronin of the Clarion-Ledger in September 2015:

"

I've been moved around a lot on defense this year. I went from safety to outside linebacker to Will (weak side) linebacker. Now I'm playing a lot of Will and I'm all over the field making tackles from the other side of the field. Just trying to give it all, 110 percent every play.

Most colleges see me playing an outside linebacker position like Ole Miss where Tony Conner plays (husky). I think my coaches are preparing me well because they understand that in college I'll probably be playing that position.

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Scout, meanwhile, offered the following assessment of Avery:

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A safety who likes to hit. Very instinctive defensive back who likes to strike the opponent, but also has the ball skills to turn the ball over. More of a striker than a tackler, so he can improve wrapping up and his tackling technique. Tracks the ball well in coverage. Not an elite cover guy in man-to-man situations, but he has good range. Smart player. Seems to be in the right place most of the time.

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Avery's versatility, size and athleticism make him an exciting prospect at the next level. At the least, he should contribute immediately on special teams. At best, he could have the type of impact Su'a Cravens had for USC during his career.

Whether he remains at safety, converts to outside linebacker or plays the dual role that Deone Bucannon of the Arizona Cardinals is popularizing, Avery should eventually play a major part for Louisville. 

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.