A look at Notre Dame tight end commit Jack Larsen, one of the top tight ends in the country.
JACK LARSEN PROFILE
Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.
High School: Charlotte Catholic
Height: 6-3
Weight: 215
IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 100 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5
Offers: Notre Dame, Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Florida, Michigan, Florida State, Tennessee, North Carolina, Texas A&M, NC State, Arkansas, Michigan State, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Louisville, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Maryland, Duke, Georgia Tech
Recruited By: Gerad Parker
RECRUITING RANKINGS
247Sports: 4-star - No. 49 overall - No. 3 tight end
Rivals: 3-star - No. 8 tight end
On3: 3-star - No. 15 tight end
Composite: 4-star - 173 overall - No. 9 tight end
FILM ANALYSIS
The first thing you'll notice about Larsen is his size; at 6-3 and 215 pounds, the Charlotte Catholic standout doesn't possess prototypical tight end size. The question then becomes does he have the athletic skillset to be a move around tight end, but also the toughness and strength to handle necessary blocking duties.
In short, for Larsen the answer to both is yes.
Larsen isn't a burner, but he shows a good initial burst and downfield acceleration. He's fast enough to be a force on crosses and drag routes, and he can stretch the seams and make plays down the field. As he physically matures I fully expect Larsen, who is just a rising junior, to add even more long speed to his game.
Where Larsen shines is with his overall athletic skillset and an advanced game for a player his age.
Larsen shows impressive agility and balance, and he's a loose athlete. He can change direction with ease for an athlete his size, and he can explode when he needs to. There is refinement needed, which is expected for a sophomore, but Larsen shows a great understanding of how to get open. He has a nuanced route running repertoire, showing the ability to manipulate defenders and the skills to quickly sink his hips and work his feet efficient on top ends.
His pass catching skills are outstanding. Larsen has strong hands and tremendous concentration on downfield throws. His loose athleticism gives him impressive body control, and all those traits combine nicely to give Larsen the ability to win in traffic, on contested catches and he's a weapon after the catch. Larsen also shows a knack for finding soft spots in the zone, which makes him an ideal fit in the Irish offense.
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