Film Don't Lie | Tobias Merriweather
It’s been a minute since Notre Dame fans could get hyped about a commitment on the offensive side of the ball. Consider the wait now over after they landed one from one of the top receivers in the country.
Tobias Merriweather is a big time talent and was on the short list of “must-gets” in this recruiting cycle. Well, they got him. Merriweather is the highest rated commitment on offense in Notre Dame’s 2022 class and he’s a prospect I am very high on.
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 185
Projected Position: Wide receiver
ISD Grade: 94 (4-star)
National Average Grade: 93.6 (4-star)
What he does best:
His ball skills are exceptional. He displays impressive body control and awareness as well as doing a great job of adjusting to the football.
He plays physical fighting through press coverage and has some edge to his game. He checks the boxes with his ability after the catch as well where he can run through arm tackles.
His grit on some particular plays after the catch is what I love to see from a skill guy. It’s one of the reasons why should be such a weapon on 3rd downs and in the red zone.
Merriweather can win contested catches and he does well catching the football in traffic. He made a lot of plays on some poorly thrown footballs, but this catch on this particular play was as good as any that I saw from him.
What he needs to improve:
His feet are pretty good getting in and out of breaks, but there is a lack of consistency. Sometimes he drops his hips and shows burst. Other times he rounds some cuts. He can become a much better route runner in my opinion.
The level of competition he is facing isn’t great, but I think he shows promising long speed. He’ll need to get from 0 to 60 a bit quicker to gain consistent separation against better athletes at corner.
What’s his ceiling?
I believe Merriweather can be a back-shoulder monster on the boundary with the added piece of what he can produce after the catch. Put simply, he’s someone that has the potential to be a go-to player when they need to move the sticks and also be someone who they target when they need a big play.
It’s not easy to land that type of receiver who can be a true number one, but I see that kind of ceiling for Merriweather at Notre Dame.
Who he could be:
Former Arizona State receiver N’Keal Harry