2011's Max Delorenzo: The Pride of Berlin

Max Delorenzo- With my second running back evaluation, I look at Max Delorenzo. The Berlin, Conn. product is extremely young for his grade, yet on every play, he looks more and more like a D-1 college prospect.

With a great sophomore year in which he scored 15 touchdowns, he has received a great amount of interest by prominent college programs. At 6’0” and 197 pounds, Delorenzo does more than just fill a jersey. With every play, he threatens to score a touchdown.

Usually getting the ball off pitch plays, Delorenzo has amazing vision. He can either cut inside or try and move to the outside to create some space for himself. For his size he is surprisingly better going down the sidelines than he is moving the ball up the middle. Delorenzo is very agile for a running back that is almost 200 pounds. With a couple pounds of muscle added on, Delorenzo could also be a great tackle-breaker.

While he is unable to outrun everyone on the opposing team, breaking through that first line of defense where the lineman and linebackers lurk seems very easy for him because of some great blocking and open cutback lanes. With those open lanes he could possibly pick up a first down on every play.

The Verdict: While Max is a gifted player with all the tools necessary to play at a D-1 college, he must work on his breakaway speed before the next level. Balance is also another issue that if Delorenzo can fix, he can be one of the better northeastern backs of the 2011 class.  Adding those dimensions to his game and having a solid year as a senior could result in even greater interest than he has already seen. I would personally like to see him take the ball from a more pro style format to show that he has the vision needed to see over the linemen. Max Delorenzo has unlimited potential and already has most of the tools needed to be an impact running back heading into college.

 

College Choices: Connecticut, Duke, Syracuse
 

Grade: B/B+