2016 NFL Draft: early look at Notre Dame’s C.J. Prosise
By Jon Dove
Notre Dame’s C.J. Prosise has burst onto the scene this season to establish himself as a strong running back prospect. He’s an interesting player because of his production and the fact that he’s still learning the position after transitioning from wide receiver. However, it’s obvious he has a bright future at the running back position.
Prosise is a quick-twitch athlete who can get up to full speed in a hurry. This comes into play when he identifies the hole and quickly reaches the second level. Prosise is always a threat to break off a long run thanks to his quickness and power.
This clip is an example of Prosise exploding through the hole and picking up a big chunk of yardage:
His ability to break tackles is thanks to his toughness and balance. Prosise is a determined runner who keeps his legs churning as he fights to pick up extra yardage. He keeps a sound base and runs behinds his pads which helps him finish off runs by moving forward.
The clip below shows Prosise fighting his way to the goal line and finishing off the run with a touchdown:
While Prosise is a tough runner, he isn’t at his most effective when working between the tackles. He tends to be too patient which results in a healthy number of tackles for loss. This appears to be a case of Prosise still learning the position and becoming comfortable with his reads.
He holds value because of his big-play ability and natural athleticism. This keeps him in the mix to be one of the first few running backs selected in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Current Draft Position: 2nd Round