Kiel Pollard
Video by Jeff Tyner, analysis by Wes Mitchell
Evaluation by Matt O'Brien
What I like: Pollard is one of the best athletes I’ve watched in this year’s recruiting cycle. As a receiver, he can line up in the slot or on the perimeter, and displays the ability to run a variety of routes. Pollard is extremely dangerous after the catch on screens and short passes, where he shows off the quickness to get by defenders and the power to fight through arm tackles. Pollard is also able to win in contested situations due to his advanced ball skills and hand strength. This is going to sound like an odd comparison, but when I look at his running style and pure athleticism, Pollard reminds me a bit of my former teammate, Melvin Ingram. And like Melvin, I believe Pollard is talented enough to play a number of positions in college.
Instant impact? I would be surprised if Pollard didn’t play a significant role in the Gamecocks offense in 2016. The team needed to find playmakers at wide receiver in this year’s class, and I believe Pollard is capable of producing at a high level right away.
Rivals rating: A 5.8 four-star rating is very good, but I would have him rated even higher based on his superb athleticism and playmaking ability from the wide receiver position.