Quote:
Originally Posted by In58men
Jalen Tolbert please sir
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9. JALEN TOLBERT | South Alabama 6011 | 194 lbs. | rSR. Mobile, Ala. (McGill-Toolen) 2/27/1999 (age 23.17) #8
BACKGROUND: Jalen Tolbert was born and raised in Mobile, Ala., and was a three-sport star at McGill-Toolen High, a private Catholic school. After earning a spot on varsity as a sophomore, his playing time increased throughout his junior year as the team went 13-1 and won the 2015 7A state championship. Tolbert finished his junior year with 14 catches for 135 yards, with most of that production coming in the four playoff games. He became a full-time starter as a senior and posted 37 receptions for 696 yards and nine touchdowns as McGill-Toolen reached the 7A state championship game for the second consecutive year. He also lettered in baseball and basketball, helping lead the basketball team to the state title his junior season (didn’t play basketball as a senior). A two-star recruit out of high school, Tolbert was the No. 415 wide receiver in the country and the No. 108 recruit in the state of Alabama. He didn’t become a starter until his senior year, so his recruitment was delayed as well. Tolbert was planning to attend FCS-level Jacksonville State after committing there as a senior, but South Alabama (located in Mobile) extended a scholarship a few weeks before signing day. He strongly considered late offers from Michigan State and Vanderbilt but
decided to stay close to home and sign with South Alabama, making the rare decision to choose the Sun Belt over the Big Ten and SEC. Tolbert also planned to play baseball at South Alabama but chose to focus on football. He graduated with his degree in leisure studies (May 2021) and is working on a second degree in interdisciplinary studies. Tolbert accepted his invitation to the 2022 Senior Bowl.
STRENGTHS: Smooth athlete ... skilled at releasing at the line and throttling his speed mid-route, which allows him to stack corners vertically ... brakes cleanly at the stem with sudden feet to redirect in any direction ... drives corners off the top of his routes ... above-average tracking and adjustment skills to snare inaccurate passes ... strong mitts to win 50-50 balls and finish catches through contact ... does a great job working back and high-pointing or attacking the ball with his long arms before it gets to him ... turns into a defensive back when necessary, so either he catches it or no one does ... added slot responsibilities as a senior ... faced only one Power 5 program over his final 34 games but made it count (7/143/1 vs. Tennessee in November 2021) ... rewrote the receiving records books at South Alabama, including career catches (178), receiving yards (3,140), touchdown catches (22) and 100-yard receiving games (10).
WEAKNESSES: Drop rate increased as a senior ... doesn’t have breakaway speed after the catch ... prone to drifts prior to his route breaks, tipping his path ... not elusive, and missed tackles were infrequent on film ... squeezes too tight along the sideline, allowing the corner to run him out of bounds ... half-hearted blocker, and won’t go looking for work if he doesn’t have to ... minimal experience on special teams coverages in college ... fumbled twice over his final two seasons and needs to better protect the football.
SUMMARY: A three-year starter at South Alabama, Tolbert was the X receiver in offensive coordinator Major Applewhite’s offense and lined up across the formation (unlike his underclassman tape). After bypassing scholarship offers from Power 5 programs to stay close to home, he became the most prolific receiver in South Alabama history, including the first player in school history to reach 1,000 receiving yards in a season (he did it twice). Aside from the occasional focus drop, Tolbert shows impressive catch-point timing and adjustment skills. Although he doesn’t have elite top-end speed, he has fluid footwork and uses slight hesitation in his route breaks so he can mash the gas and create pockets of separation. Overall, Tolbert needs to tighten up a few areas of his game, but he has NFL starting traits with his ability to track deep or sink and work back to the football.
GRADE: 2nd-3rd Round (No. 59 overall)