Film Don't Lie | Will Schweitzer
Surprise, surprise...Notre Dame picked up another pass rusher. One who isn’t exactly polished, but is certainly intriguing as a prospect.
Will Schweitzer is a multi-position athlete who does it all for his high school team. He’ll line up and rush off the edge for Notre Dame and there’s a lot there that projects well to the Vyper position in Clark Lea’s defense.
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 220
Projected Position: Vyper
ISD Grade: 89 (3-star)
National Average Grade: 87.8 (3-star)
What he does best:
He’s a long athlete who runs really well. He shows good twitch off the edge. His first step is something is one thing that makes me believe he has a bright future as a pass rusher. That’s a box that needs to be checked and Schweitzer checks it.
He doesn’t even have a real plan of attack as a pass rusher, but even seeing this spin move shows what kind of athletic tools he brings to the table.
Schweitzer makes a ton of plays and had over 100 tackles for his team. He’s an instinctive football player and where most rushers would take this free opportunity to get up the field, he makes a terrific read to pick this ball off.
He’s someone who can handle all of the coverage responsibilities of a Vyper. I can picture him occasionally matching up with a tight end and definitely feeling comfortable doing more than simply dropping to the flat.
What he needs to improve:
Right now he doesn’t know how to use his hands as a rusher and relies strictly on his athleticism to win. In a way, he is a blank canvas that Mike Elston will get to work with in that department.
Playing physical and setting the edge are going to be adjustments for him as someone who plays mostly as an off the ball linebacker. He’s definitely not going to be ready to play from day one and will take some time to learn the position.
What’s his ceiling?
California has moved their high school football season to the spring and what he’ll look like then is going to be exciting to watch. It’s clear he is only just growing into his body and is going to get a lot bigger and I imagine much better when given an opportunity to rush the passer.
TCU and Utah both offered him and those programs certainly have a good grasp of 3-star pass rushers who aren’t strictly lining up off the edge in high school. They find projectable athletes and then convert them. That’s what Notre Dame is doing here as well.
I really like his potential and believe his senior season, if he gets to play it, will tell us a lot about his ceiling in college. He’s definitely a player who will have to physically and technically develop, but the long term potential is exciting.
He’s an athletic fit for the Vyper position and Notre Dame needed to take a player at that position in this class. Whether David Abiara is in the class or not, I don’t see him as a Vyper in the long term. Schweitzer has the tools to become a quality starter at some point at Notre Dame.