Scouting Report: Cal ATH commit Billy McCrary
Cal got faster when former SMU commit Billy McCrary of Rouse High in Leander, Texas switched his commitment to the Bears following his official visit. The 5'11, 190 pounder has primarily played quarterback for Rouse, but is being brought in as an athlete… with the potential to play wide receiver... or defensive back... so, yeah, let's call him a lean to the defensive side of the ball, shall we?
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Once again, GBR heads to the film room to better assess Cal's latest commit, Billy McCrary.
THE FILM:
THE SCOUTING REPORT:
Here's the main, obvious issue with gleaning any truly valuable info from these clips: McCrary ain't playing quarterback at Cal, which is the position he's mainly featured at in the video, sprinkled in with some running back clips from his early varsity career. Further, there are no clips of him playing wide receiver or defensive back, his two potential destinations at Cal.
So there is a lot we don't know about McCrary and frankly won't know until we see him in action. As a wide receiver, we don't know just how well he can catch. We also don't know how well he runs routes. There are a handful of clips showing him catching passes out of the backfield but exposure and proficiency are two very different things. As a DB, we don't know how well he tackles, or if he even can tackle. We don't know if he can diagnose plays and read a quarterback or a receiver. We don't know how quick he is in and out of his backpedal. These are legitimate and significant questions. And even with the answers murky right now, you take McCrary anyway. Why? He's fast.
Some guys have impressive 40 times or eyepopping sprint times on the track, but don't play that fast once they have pads on. McCrary is not one of those guys. And furthermore, he has the requisite quickness and acceleration to get up to his top speed in a hurry. When he's running with the ball in his hands (which he does a lot), you can see his vision, balance and agility on display. It's these things that allow him to fully take advantage of his speed. Being fast doesn't do you any good if you can't find a hole or be patient enough for a block to develop before shifting gears. Ask Brendan Bigelow. McCrary's quick feet also lead me to believe that he could play wide receiver, though becoming an accomplished route runner is not as simple as just being agile. Make no mistake, he'll need heavy coaching up for just about any role he slides into, save special teams.
And while we are able to get a clear sense of McCrary's offensive exploits from the video, the big mystery is what he could bring to the table defensively, which is likely where he'd fill a larger need. He's got loose hips, balance, vision, closing speed certainly. His speed alone leads me to believe he'd be able to cover some ground as a safety, though he doesn't have the size you'd like there. His quickness makes me think he'd be a really interesting option at the nickel, handling slot receivers. But can he cover? What does he do once he gets to either the ball or the man? Can he make a play on the ball? Can he tackle? How physical is he? Physical tools alone do not a quality defender make. McCrary demonstrates some physicality when carrying the ball and has certainly been exposed to his share of hits given his near 1,000 touches at the high school level. But receiving and giving are different. There's a mentality to the defensive side of the ball that isn't coachable. And Cal needs some killers in the secondary. I'm not saying McCrary doesn't have that in him, by the way. All I'm saying is we don't know if he does.
Since I've spent a good portion talking about what we don't know yet, let's circle back to what we do know and why I applaud this take. McCrary is a true athlete; an elite one. Look no further than his 125 SPARQ rating and what that entails: 4.48 40 time, 40.8 inch vert (!!!), 4.14 second shuttle, and a 38 foot power ball toss. Those numbers place him in the 99th percentile of all high school entrants nationally in 2014. Elite. I'm a sucker for SPARQ numbers, but only when paired with on-field production, or passing the eye test, as they say. McCrary does. He's an athletic football player, not an athlete that plays football. There's a difference. He's a guy that you bring in and slot wherever makes the most sense. That's the tact being used, and I'm all for it.
The staff has sought out guys that will make the team faster going forward. They found one. And while McCrary will need significant polish and coaching once he gets on campus and his next position is identified, that doesn't mean he's a total project. Stick him on special teams as a gunner and he's immediately useful. A lot of things can be coached, but you can't coach fast.