Film Room: Jaremiah Anglin

In the last two recruiting cycles, Kentucky did not sign one player from the Sunshine State. That won’t be the case in the class of 2023 after the Wildcats logged a big win in Central Florida.

Jaremiah Anglin is a top-500 recruit who received some big-time recruiting interest. Auburn, Florida State, Oklahoma, and Pittsburgh were all involved with the Polk County star. Quietly and efficiently, defensive backs coach Chris Collins worked the trail for Kentucky and landed Anglin after hosting the defensive back for an unofficial visit on June 15.

To continue the theme with recent additions to the secondary, Anglin is a versatile defensive back with length (6-3 wingspan) and positional versatility at the next level. The Lake Wales (Fla.) High prospect earned defensive MVP honors at the National Combine and has solid testing data to go along with tape that shows a player that can provide defensive playmaking.

Let’s dive into the film.

At Lake Wales, Jaremiah Anglin plays both cornerback and safety at the Florida 6A high school level. The prospect finished last season with 83 tackles and five interceptions. His best reps are often as a middle-of-the-field safety where he can rely on his speed and instincts to make plays from sideline to sideline.

Playing the deep middle, Anglin does a very good job reading the quarterback and then breaking on the ball when the passer commits. The speed then takes over as the defensive back races to the ball and steals an interception from his teammate in a three-deep concept. Anglin has very good play speed to go with instincts and ball skills to cause havoc on the backend.

When at Kentucky, Jaremiah Anglin will be thrown into a zone-heavy defense. The Wildcats are a big-play prevention unit that tries to keep everything in front and make offenses earn touchdowns. In this type of defense, secondary players must play with good eyes.

Playing outside cornerback, Anglin drops back into a deep zone while gaining depth and keeping his eyes on the quarterback. Once the passer break contain, Anglin’s instincts take over on the throwing motion leading the defensive player to the football. The work with his eyes helps the prospect create a takeaway.

Strong eye discipline will be needed to succeed in Kentucky’s scheme. Jaremiah Anglin is an instinctual football player that sees things well.

The top asset that Anglin brings to the table is his coverage ability. The defensive back can run, flip his hips, and plays with good instincts. But to create havoc, cover players must get their hands on the ball. At the high school level, Anglin’s ball skills really show up on offense.

Running a go-route down the left sideline, Anglin gets a good release and his straight-line speed helps create separation. However, the ball is a bit underthrown and the pass catcher must make an adjustment. Anglin flashes strong hand-eye coordination and finishes the contested catch through contact. These skills all translate to defense as Anglin is consistently able to make havoc plays in 50/50 situations.

Playing safety is not all about coverage. Kentucky requires their defensive backs to occasionally get downhill in both run support and pressure packages. Defenders also must be able to get big, physical running backs and receivers down in space.

Jaremiah Anglin is more than willing to stick his face in the fan to make tackles.

As the run play gets bounced outside, Anglin flashes change of direction and closing speed. Once at the football, the defensive back does a good job of arriving with good pad level and does not shy away from contact. Some tackling fundamentals can be improved, but the effort and willingness should allow him to be successful.

Kentucky has not recruited Florida much recently. The talent-rich state produces a bunch of defensive backs. As Kentucky gets into Central Florida more in recruiting, expect this position to be a focus point.

Jaremiah Anglin is an excellent first recruiting win to get Kentucky back into the area. The top-500 recruit is a multi-positional prospect who possesses strong coverage skills in both man and zone concepts. The athleticism seems to be a strength in both short-area burst and long speed. Anglin plays bigger than he’s listed and makes plays on the football. There is a clear scheme fit here for Kentucky.

Jaremiah Anglin projects as a cover safety in Brad White’s scheme that can provide tight coverage, ball production, and positional versatility.