Film Room: Cedric Works

Anytime Kentucky lands a top-200 high school prospect on the recruiting trail it is a significant development. When the addition comes at a premium position that makes the recruiting win even sweeter. Vince Marrow and the Kentucky defensive staff landed a huge fish on Thursday.

Clayton (Ohio) Northmont EDGE Cedric Works ended his recruitment with a commitment to Kentucky picking the Wildcats over Cincinnati, Florida, and Penn State.

BREAKING: Four-Star EDGE Cedric Works has Committed to Kentucky, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’5 230 EDGE from Dayton, OH chose the Wildcats over Penn State & Florida

“I heard the best in Ohio go to Kentucky.”https://t.co/NgKB8M2Cr1 pic.twitter.com/gP6Yv6MLCr

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 27, 2024

Kentucky’s 13th commit in the class of 2025 is a top-150 recruit and a top-10 player in Ohio. KSR’s Film Room is taking a closer look at what Cedric Works can bring to Kentucky’s defense. The prospect is a twitchy edge rusher with an impressive athletic profile.

Positional athleticism

The first thing that immediately stands out once you press play on Cedric Works’ junior tape is the overall athletic profile. Kentucky’s latest commit needs to add mass and improve pass rush technique, but the raw tools are there.

Works can run, jump, and pursue the quarterback.

There are multiple reps on tape of Works not getting to the quarterback as a rusher but still finding a way to create havoc. The EDGE prospect shows some of his basketball skills on the gridiron with strong leaping ability leading to batted balls and interceptions. The raw athleticism immediately stands out. In pursuit, Works flashes a hot motor and striking power upon impact.

The blue-chip prospect will need some development at the next level, but the raw physical tools are obvious.

Pass Rush Toolbox

At Northmont, Cedric Works is used as both a 4-3 defensive end, 3-4 outside linebacker, and off-ball linebacker. The coaching staff asks the star player to do a lot of different things, but most of them center around finding the football and pursuing. In pass rush reps, Works is usually just trying to run around blockers. Moves and countermoves will need to be developed and sharpened at Kentucky.

But Works shows some physical gifts to make you believe that pass rushing success could come quickly for the prospect at the next level.

Works can run the hoop as an edge rusher meaning that the prospect can bend and turn the corner with his front shoulder bent down. That flexibility allows him to take the quickest path possible to the quarterback, and the prospect shows the ability to take that path with relative ease.

Once in the backfield, Works’ pursuit ability shows up. The outside linebacker prospect has the quick foot speed required to track quarterbacks with some short-area quickness and collapse space in the pocket quickly.

The potential toolbox is intriguing because of these raw skills.

Recruit and Develop

Kentucky believes it is a “recruit and develop” program. That means signing the most talented players possible and developing those prospects once they get on campus. Cedric Works is a highly-ranked prospect due to his physical traits, but the four-star recruit will need to be developed.

The edge rusher can bend, has terrific positional athleticism, and flashes the foot speed to chase down quarterbacks. Now he will have to put all of those skills together at Kentucky. Works will need to add mass to increase his play strength as he’s not ready to set the edge in the run game just yet. He will also need to learn some of the intricacies of playing strictly 3-4 outside linebacker after floating around in high school. But the pass rush potential is undeniable.

Kentucky has landed a bendy edge rusher with twitch who could turn into a player who can threaten the corner and give opposing offenses fits on passing downs. The athletic profile also gives Works potential as a pass defender in zone drops and the ability to quickly defeat isolation blocks in run fits. There is much to like about this prospect.