Recruit Snapshot: Kaleb Beasley
Kaleb Beasley of Lipscomb Academy (Nashville, Tennessee) may have drawn one of the toughest assignments in America to open the 2023 high school football season. The Tennessee cornerback commit was tasked with locking down the receivers from IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida). IMG is loaded at receiver with many dangerous players, and in a premier game nationally, the Ascenders paid Beasley a massive compliment: They simply didn’t throw at him.
No Fly Zone
Let’s get one thing straight off the top here, Kaleb Beasley is one of the best players, but specifically one of the best corners, in the country. Elite corners typically don’t have many stats to fill the box score, and while that may seem counterintuitive, it makes sense when you examine it. Opposing quarterbacks and coaches simply don’t throw at elite corners. They rarely allow a receiver to get open, and a mistake by the quarterback typically results in a turnover. Elite corners take away half of the field from the offense, because the risk of going to their side of the field is too great to gamble on. Sometimes coaches simply tell their passers to not even look to that side of the field. Kaleb Beasley is one such corner, and the team he was intimidating was one of the best offenses in America. That speaks volumes.
Defensive Multiplier
A shut down corner like Beasley is a huge boon for a defense overall. Though you may not see it from the final score, the Mustang defense turned in a deeply impressive effort against IMG. If Lipscomb could have managed to get some consistent offense going, this would have been a drastically different game, because the Mustang defense came to play.
A large part of that success comes from the effect Beasley has on the opposing offense. By taking away half the field with his presence, the Mustangs were able to roll coverage to the opposite side of Beasley to help with the Ascenders’ other dangerous receivers. It also freed up a safety to walk into the box freely to help support the run. When IMG did test Beasley, he was up to the challenge, staying in phase with elite receivers as well as fighting through blocks to make tackles on screens designed to test his tackling and physicality. By proving he was capable of neutralizing the plays that IMG worked toward him, Beasley allowed the Mustang defense to play an entirely different game, while frustrating IMG. There is a reason corners like Beasley are a premium target for colleges.
The Blueprint
If you were to ask a defensive back coach to build the blueprint for a man cover corner, they’d likely come up with something close to Beasley. At 6’0” tall and 195 pounds, Beasley has the body type that allows him to handle any type of receiver.
- Beasley is big enough to work taller receivers.
- He is physical enough to knock even larger opponents off their routes.
- Fights through blocks and blows up screens.
- Shows he is a willing tackler on the edge or in run support.
- Tackles and embraces physical play like a safety.
- Has the open field speed to run with most any receiver in the country.
- Adds another dimension as a dangerous punt and kick returner.
Beasley is a polished corner with massive upside. He showed toughness playing through cramps and a hip pointer, even playing both ways for much of the night trying to give his team their best chance to win. That type of heart and toughness, coupled with being mentally tough, having a snap and clear mentality, and remaining level headed even in difficult or chippy moments shows that Beasley is the kind of corner you can trust in space and build a defense around.
Corner is a priority position of need for Tennessee, and they have secured the commitment of the best in the state, and one of the best in the country. Beasley is likely to be a target for the strength and conditioning team in Knoxville, as the Vols would ideally like to see Beasley add around 10 more pounds of muscle to help him be more physical and handle the SEC grind. That process will be important, as he has all the other tools and qualities to come in and play a major role early for the Vols.
