Profile: Steven Wright
High School: Ware County (Waycross, Ga.)
Height/weight: 6-4, 234
Ranking: Rivals 3*, ESPN 3*, 247 3*
Additional offers: Nebraska, UNC, Tennesse, Marshall
The skinny:
A number of the DE recruits the Hoos have had over the past few years have been moved to OLB as soon as they set foot on grounds (Cory Jones, Chris Peace and most notably, Max Valles). This is because Jon Tenuta's defense requires OLBs who can rush the passer. They must be quick, and generally are a bit undersized for DEs anyway.
Steven Wright is not one of these guys. Wright is a DE through and through. He comes in at 6'4" and 234 pounds, with a good frame to add more muscle. He's also likely not fast enough to play OLB. He has good quickness in short spaces, but doesn't run well enough to really play off the line.
The above video is Steven's senior year highlights. Here are some highlighs from his junior year.
Wright's HS team seems to play a variety of fronts. Some are 3-4 fronts, some of 4-3 fronts. He plays both inside and outside. His initial quickness off the snap is outstanding, as he regularly beats the OL through the gap. His raw athleticism is high and is very easy to see on video. What he doesn't really display, at least in the videos, is much of a pass-rush arsenal. It seems that he's too big and too quick for most of the guys trying to block him. This will, obviously, not be the case in college. So Wright will need to develop his skills before being ready to play.
With the departure of Eli Harold, the Hoos are thin at DE. But not so thin that Wright shouldn't redshirt. He can use that time to build up more muscle, work on getting faster and learn some pass rush techniques.