OVERVIEW
Morgan waited for his time to shine with the Irish, despite coming to South Bend as a first-team USA Today All-American and top 50 overall recruit nationally from Crete, Illinois (south of Chicago, near Indiana border). The son of a former Western Illinois footballer (Thomas) played in 12 games, starting four, as a true freshman in 2014 (47 tackles, 3.5 for loss, sack). Morgan was stuck behind veterans in 2015, however, playing as a reserve in every game, making 17 tackles (eight on special teams to lead the team). He came out swinging in 2016, topping the defense with 94 stops, six for loss, four sacks, and three pass break-ups, attacking gaps to pressure the quarterback or stuff runs in the hole, as well as showing the agility to stay with receivers in space.
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS Quality, heads-up tackler. Accelerates into tackles, wraps up and runs his feet to completion. Does a solid job of reading running backs intentions and sliding from gap to gap to mirror him. Will not hesitate to step into the hole and handles his physical duties against linemen and fullbacks. Adequate diagnosis of run direction and initial quickness gives him a solid head start. Motor is usually good throughout the rep. Had an impact on special teams before he became a starter at linebacker.
WEAKNESSES Short strider with restricted lateral agility and foot quickness. Plays too upright in space and gets stuck in neutral when changing direction. Chase speed and range is below desired NFL level. Tends to wait between first and second level for runners to get up to him rather than firing all the way downhill. Needs to be more careful with maintaining his backside contain responsibilities. Will occasionally run himself out of the play. Can be slow to recognize play-fakes. Too passive in pass drops. Sits in space, but doesn't actively close-out passing lanes. Not athletic enough to handle man coverage.
DRAFT PROJECTION Priority free agent
BOTTOM LINE Two-year starter and 2017 team captain who plays with good energy but lacks the playmaking, athletic traits that teams look for from linebackers. His road to an NFL roster will likely need to be paved on special teams.
-Lance Zierlein
