Colbie Young, WR, Georgia
Size:
Height: 6’4” | Weight: 200 lbs
Accomplishments:
Three-star recruit
"Colbie Young’s size gives him the opportunity to be a productive middle-of-the-field target or a red-zone threat, dominating in one-on-one opportunities."
Strengths:
Big frame
Length/wide catch radius
Red-zone threat
Position-versatile
Concerns:
Down-the-field speed
Ability to separate
Detailed route-running
Film Analysis:
Colbie Young transferred to Georgia from the University of Miami, where he served an important role in the Hurricanes offense. Young, listed at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, became a mismatch problem for defenses, using his combination of size and athleticism to be a difficult player to cover. Due to Young's size, he could be utilized in various alignments and fill various roles for an offense. Young has surprising athleticism combined with his overall mass, which makes him a viable receiving option that should be utilized in an offense.
Starting pre-snap, Young has been utilized in multiple alignments all over the field from the true X position, to the slot, to being aligned in the F position as a TE—all of which he has the opportunity to do because of his overall size.
At the receiver position, Young appears to operate best against off-coverage. Young is a build-up speed player who quickly eats up ground with his strides. Against zone, Young can quickly eat up ground and force defenders to flip their hips thinking that Young is going vertical and he can snap off the route underneath. Young thrives on short-to-intermediate routes, showing the ability to win inside leverage and the ability to run in-breakers. At the catch point and when defenders are in phase with him, Young can simply use his frame to shield defenders away from being able to make contact with the football. Young at times appears to overwhelm defenders with his frame and has the opportunity to in 50/50 contested situations.
Young's size also lends him toward potentially making the transition to playing TE and the flex tight end/power slot role for offenses. Young has shown to be comfortable in high-traffic areas and can win those balls that are down the field up the seam. Young has the potential to become a security blanket type of player over the middle of the field that the quarterback doesn't have to make a completely accurate pass to. The ball can simply get to an area and Young can come down with it.
Young's concern as a player has to deal with how he will separate against press-man coverage. Because Young is a high-hipped strider as a receiver, corners who have quickness can get into Young's frame and then stay in phase with him during the route. This highlights Young's inability to separate using his quickness and can disrupt his timing running detailed routes.
Overall, Young’s size profile will help him carve out a role in the NFL and he has the potential to become a productive possession receiver operating in the middle of the field.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Developmental Traits
Written By: Keith Sanchez
Exposures: Texas A&M (2023), North Carolina (2023), Clemson (2023), Florida State (2023)