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Player Evaluation: Coziah Izzard

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It seems like every year, Penn State head coach James Franklin and the defensive coaching staff find a big-bodied edge rusher to transition into the interior of the defensive line. This year, they may have found their most talent-rich recruit yet in four-star DeMatha prospect Coziah Izzard. While he’s already listed at 280 pounds, Izzard has the quickness and movement skills to be a high-level pass rusher on the inside of the defensive line.

Important Note: Scouting notes are based on highlight videos. They should not be seen as a complete picture of the strengths and weaknesses of a prospect. The majority of the evaluation is based off of physical tools and what positional fundamentals can be gleaned from select plays. As these young men are still in the early stages of their development, projections are based on potential and development.


Strengths

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Quickness & Athleticism: Izzard played on the edge in high school at 280 pounds and made plays with quickness and speed. Now, he's set to bring that twitchy motor and fluid movement inside to the tackle position. His ability to keep this asset while gaining weight will be critical to his development. He did a masterful job of doing so from his junior to senior year of high school, so continuing to follow that path seems like a logical assumption. Izzard's best asset as an athlete is a very quick first step that positions him immediately to make a play or disrupt a block.

Shedding Blocks: Some football players along the defensive line think that defeating a block means getting into a shoving match with the offensive lineman. That’s great until you realize the runner is already six yards downfield. The best way to defeat a block is to render it irrelevant. Izzard shows an early ability to set up blockers and make them whiff on contact. This, combined with good arm length and quick hands, could make him a very tough assignment at the collegiate level. He does a very good job in the running game of engaging the block, but not getting locked down. He has both a plan and a violent punch at the point of contact to shock the blocker and disengage.

Physique: Despite what it may feel like during the holiday season, it’s not easy to be 280 pounds. To be 280 pounds and athletic is even harder. Izzard has done that and more with a well-proportioned and developed frame. His lower-body seems well-developed and Izzard doesn't seem to carry excessive weight on his frame. If you add that with his quickness and frame, Izzard is dripping with potential.


Areas of Development

Pad Level: Izzard does a very good job of keeping his pad level and center of gravity low in space. This allows him to transition his weight and chase the ball. This is incredibly difficult for a player of his size and is a valuable asset. But there are also times on film that Izzard loses pad level and leverage when he’s engaged by an aggressive lineman, especially on the interior. If he can learn to take his skills in space and transition them to the interior, he could be a terror to block.

Pass Rush: While he has active, quick hands, Izzard will need to learn to deploy a variety of pass rushing moves to become the dominant force he has the potential to be. The hard part for big athletes is to have quick feet. Izzard already has that. Now, he must learn to use his hands to win and get in the backfield as a pass rusher.

Interior Transition: The transition to the interior of the defensive line is not as simple as it may seem. Izzard is used to playing in space on the edge where he either has to defeat one blocker to his inside, or make plays unblocked on read-options. He must learn how to deal with multiple blockers attacking him from multiple angles, while also having a plan for defeating them. He has the contact balance and lower body strength to hold up at the point of attack, but it’s a different skill set that may take time to learn. Quickness and violent movement will be his friend between the tackles because there’s less room to operate.

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Ideal Position: Three-Tech Defensive Tackle

Izzard has one of the higher ceilings in the Class of 2020, but also has further to go than most of his classmates because of the transition he's about to make. Before he can realize his full potential as a pass rushing defensive tackle, he’ll have to learn how to play at a heavier weight, master a new position and develop a new skill set. How quickly he learns those skills and how his body responds to the weight room will determine how quickly he sees the field. The good news is that he’s already closer to that goal physically than some of the players that have come before him. Make no mistake: if Izzard does reach those heights, you’ll be hearing his name often.


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