Film Don't Lie: Noah Boykin
Notre Dame looked like it had the makings of a very good cornerback class for 2017. Then, much like it did during the 4-8 season, things started to fall apart. That made it imperative that they recovered in a big way in the 2018 class at corner with at least three players at the position. When things started off slow at that spot in this cycle, there was some real concern that the Irish may end up short at the position in back to back years.
That worry is now over with the other prospects they have signed and with the Irish finally adding Noah Boykin as the latest piece to the cornerback puzzle. They are now set to add the deepest and most talented group at the position they've had in a single class in many years.
Boykin was seen as a high ceiling prospect as a junior, but also one that needed quite a bit of refinement to his game. He’s taken some big steps in that direction as a senior. After evaluating all of the film he has available, I graded him out as an elite prospect at the position. Notre Dame fans should be very excited about his potential.
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 170
Projected Position: Cornerback
ISD Grade: 91 (4 star)
National Average: 88.1 (3 star)
What he does best:
Boykin certainly has the body type of an elite corner. He is long with narrow hips, which is a combination that works well at the position. His long arms certainly help him get his hands on the football frequently. That and his compete level for the ball when it is in the air help him have outstanding ball skills.
As a junior he dropped a number of chances at interceptions, but you could see that his hands weren’t an issue when he played receiver on offense. With his senior film, I really saw him have a receiver mentality that helped him finish with the football. He wins at the catch point and when he intercepts the ball, he has skills that make him a threat to go the other way and he score like he did right here.
He shows a great ability to mirror receivers in man coverage. This is a great example of how he well he changes directions, which isn’t something that is common in corners that are as tall as he is. He opens up one way and then quickly adjusts back before forcing a tipped ball that is intercepted.
Athletically he has the kind of traits that are going to translate really well at the next level. He has really good feet and is smooth out of his transitions as well. And for a guy who needs to put on some weight and get a lot stronger, he is a willing tackler that does not shy away from being physical.
This was a terrific job of him disengaging from a block and making a strong tackle here.
Sometimes corners are just cover guys, but that’s not Boykin. He is a football player that can cover.
What he needs to work on:
I mentioned that he needs to get gain some weight and he will have to do so when he gets to Notre Dame. He is going to take another big step once he is able to play as strong as he wants to play.
I already saw a lot of improvement with awareness and route recognition from his junior to senior year, but he needs to be better with his jam. Sometimes he will let receivers gain control with contact and then he has to fight back to recover rather than him dictating terms with his hands.
That’s something that jumps out at me. Although he is going to be able to measure up with his height and leaping ability to most receivers, he’ll face some at the next level that will try and win by being more physical to gain body position. He has to get better technically in that aspect to combat that.
What’s his ceiling?
I think Boykin has a very high ceiling. I see him as someone that isn’t limited to being labeled as a big corner because of his height and think he can be very effective on the outside with some potential to play as a slot corner as well.
Some guys just have a different level of ball skills and that separates them from others at the position. That’s the kind of potential I see in Boykin. He can go up and get it.
I think he could eventually develop into a player that is similar to former Washington Husky Sidney Jones. He has similar physical traits to him and is gritty like Jones too. There may not be an opportunity for him to play right away at Notre Dame, but I see him having the chance to become a multi-year starter for the Irish.