B/R Recruiting Breakdown: 5-Star and No. 1 ATH Jeffrey Okudah

Each week, Bleacher Report National Recruiting Analyst Tyler Donohue analyzes a different prospect based on in-person evaluation and intensive film study. Here's our latest scouting report of a promising young athlete and how he projects as a college player.

Lone Star State stud Jeffrey Okudah offers potential at a variety of positions, capable of making an impact on either side of the ball. This range and an elite all-around skill set have vaulted him to No. 1 among athletes in Scout.com's 2017 recruiting class rankings.

Okudah, a 6'1", 190-pound senior at South Grand Prairie High School in Texas, remains among the most coveted uncommitted prospects in this cycle. His offer list started to swell as an underclassman, expanding to include dozens of scholarship opportunities at this stage. 

Oklahoma and Texas provide nearby options, while schools including College Football Playoff contenders Clemson, Ohio State and Alabama also entered the mix long ago. Okudah expects to study business and marketing during his collegiate career, according to Bleacher Report's Damon Sayles, stressing the importance of a university's MBA success as he evaluates schools.

The U.S. Army All-American Bowl selection is a shutdown coverage man in the defensive backfield but also does damage when called upon on offense. He averaged 24.2 yards per reception as a junior, per Sayles, and is picking up 7.2 yards per rushing attempt this season, according to the Dallas News.

His ability to impact a matchup in all three phases of the game continues to attract widespread attention, and it's no surprise he sits near or at the top of national signing day "wish lists" for coaching staffs across America. Okudah will undoubtedly be one of the most publicized prospects during the final stretch of this cycle, as campus visits and mounting attention will increase speculation about his ultimate landing spot.

Here's a closer look at what sets Okudah apart and makes him such a prized commodity in college scouting departments.

The Basics

High School: South Grand Prairie High School (Grand Prarie, Texas)

Size: 6'1", 190 lbs

Recruitment Status: Uncommitted; Offers include Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Stanford and Texas

Prospect Assessment

• Demeanor is defined by maturity and intelligence on and off the field; college coaches will love his attention to detail and grasp of concepts.
• This attitude and awareness make him a candidate to emerge as a team captain, and perhaps earlier than most.
• Posted the second-highest score (142.56) during Nike Football Test Rating national finals at The Opening in July; Okudah clocked a 4.03-second agility shuttle, launched a 42-foot power ball toss, leaped 41.6 inches in the vertical jump and finished his 40-yard dash in 4.49 seconds.
• He has the physique and coverage skills to thrive at either safety or cornerback, where he handled several elite receivers at The Opening.
• Eugene Jackson, who coaches defensive backs at The Opening, to Sayles: "He's one of those who covers from center field to the hash to the sidelines very fast. He also covers well in the slot."
• Okudah references former Florida State star and current Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Jalen Ramsey as a defensive role model, per Sayles: "He set the tone for playing all three positions [cornerback, safety and nickelback] at a high level."
• Told Sayles he was most comfortable at cornerback entering his senior season; this is where we project his greatest ceiling, though he also presents all-conference potential at safety.
• An aggressive force in run support; decisive and relentless once he identifies his target.
• Tackling ability extends from line of scrimmage while surging into the box, to one-on-one open-field situations downfield that prevent long-distance gains and scores.
• Length and formidable build make him a college-ready talent who should vie for an immediate role within the defensive backfield rotation; also offers an instant upgrade in special teams coverage.
• Does an outstanding job sealing off pass windows with a large wingspan; complementing polished stride-for-stride coverage efforts and refined body control.
• Fluid hips allow him to smoothly turn and burst toward the football; makes up ground in tremendous fashion in order to bail out teammates and eliminate opponents' lanes.
• Career trajectory points toward permanent defensive duties, but coaches could be tempted to occasionally incorporate Okudah as a receiver to capitalize on big-play abilities.

Okudah is a legitimate sideline-to-sideline defender, creating back-end linchpin potential in any defensive unit. His penchant for taking proper angles in pursuit puts him in position to shut down offensive efforts regardless of where a play is directed.

The sequence below provides a prime example. It begins with Okudah lined up at cornerback on the bottom of the screen:

Credit: Hudl.com

Playing approximately eight yards off his man, he watches the receiver work his way toward the backfield. The quarterback hands off to a back on his left, who then flips it to the receiver for a reverse attempt.

Okudah, peeking into the offensive backfield, isn't fooled. Rather than sprint straight toward the backfield, he maneuvers across the field, in front of the line of scrimmage, in an attempt to win this footrace toward a far-side lane that could provide plenty of running room for the receiver:

Credit: Hudl.com

Ambitious as ever in pursuit, Okudah closes ground at an ideal angle and makes contact just beyond the 30-yard line. He forces his target to adjust and decelerate, pushing him out of bounds to reduce this promising play call to a 5-yard gain:

Credit: Hudl.com

Able to blanket receivers in downfield coverage, Okudah isn't often targeted by opposing quarterbacks. But as we previously mentioned, he's a factor no matter where the ball ends up downfield.

In the clip below, Okudah is lined up at the bottom of the screen in deep zone coverage. When the pass is completed toward the flat, his back foot is on the 50-yard line and the receiver is in stride, six yards shy of reaching the first-down marker (44-yard line).

Okudah fires off with straight-line speed, presenting the only realistic obstacle toward a fresh set of downs for South Grand Prairie's opponent:

Credit: Hudl.com

Sensing he's not going to beat Okudah's quickness, the receiver makes a quality lateral adjustment inside, but he doesn't have a chance. A textbook tackle at the midsection stops him in his tracks and brings him to the turf less than a yard short of the marker:

Credit: Hudl.com

When it comes time to neutralize a threat in open-field confrontations, Okudah has few peers among 2017 classmates. 

Long-Term Outlook

Okudah is likely to encounter significant competition on whichever campus he chooses to spend the next phase of his football career. Whether he lands in Columbus, Norman, Tallahassee or elsewhere, we expect him to be prepared for that fight. 

His savvy in defensive study and exemplary athleticism should enable Okudah to break through as a reliable piece of the puzzle for a collegiate attack next season. His versatility already exceeds the capacity of several veterans on rosters he could join, placing him in contention for early reps across the field.

Roster needs should initially dictate where Okudah earns snaps, but his eventual duties should entail lining up across from the opponents' premier pass targets. He won battles against lauded receiver recruits with regularity at The Opening, and Okudah's anticipation for the development of plays puts him in position to stall offensive efforts on a weekly basis.

We project him to challenge for Freshman All-American honors, building the foundation for a college career that could eventually entail national award consideration and attract NFL scouts. 

Tyler Donohue is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Quotes and observations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Prospect ratings and information courtesy of Scout.

Follow Tyler via Twitter: @TDsTake.