MARCUS FREEMAN
ARPER
OHIO STATE
#1
PROJECTION: 2nd-3rd Round COMPARISON: -
CLASS SENIOR
HEIGHT 6-2
WEIGHT 235 lbs.
HOMETOWN Huber Heights, OH
HIGH SCHOOL Wayne
BIRTHDAY 1/10/1986
|
YEAR |
TACKLES |
TFL |
SACKS |
INTS |
FF |
|
2008 |
84 |
9.5 |
3.5 |
0 |
0 |
|
2007 |
109 |
13.5 |
9.5 |
0 |
2 |
|
2006 |
71 |
2.5 |
1.0 |
2 |
0 |
|
2005 |
0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
SCOUTING REPORT
STRENGTHS: Excellent athleticism & burst...Very good instincts & understanding...Fluid hips...Experienced
WEAKNESSES: Lean frame...Doesn’t always wrap up when tackling...Gets lost in traffic & easily engulfed
OVERALL: A three year starter, Marcus Freeman was highly recruited out of high school and saw significant playing time as a true freshman. He injured his knee in the season opener as a sophomore and missed the rest of the season (and eventually redshirted) so durability is a slight concern. Freeman returned as a redshirt sophomore in 2006 and replaced AJ Hawk at strongside linebacker. He earned Second Team All-Big 10 honors as a junior and senior and trailed only James Laurinaitis in total tackles over that span for the Buckeyes. Freeman is a natural athlete and shows fluid hips to turn and run. He has a slim frame and looks to have maxed out his body strength so he can’t get much thicker. Freeman has good burst off the snap and does a nice job attacking the play. He will get lost in traffic and is easily engulfed by bigger linemen and can be taken out of the play. Freeman shows natural instincts, but was a step too late, too often over his career and must make more precise reads off the snap. He has the hips and backpedal to turn and make plays in coverage when asked to cover a tight end or back. Freeman is a decent tackler, but he hits too often when he should wrap up and tackle. He is versatile and played mostly strongside backer at Ohio State, but appears best suited on the weakside in the pros. Freeman looks good on paper and has the athleticism to match up in the NFL, but his lack of ideal size won’t fit in every defense at the next level.
BOTTOM LINE: A player with excellent starting experience, Freeman will fit in a lot of NFL defenses that employ smaller, faster linebackers, but has a slim frame that will cause him to get lost on the LOS.
|
DATE |
OPPONENT |
RESULT |
TACKLES |
TFL |
SACKS |
INTS |
FF |
QB HURRY |
|
8/30 |
YOUNGSTOWN ST |
W 43-0 |
6 |
0.5 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
9/6 |
OHIO |
W 26-14 |
6 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
9/13 |
@ USC |
L 35-3 |
7 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
9/20 |
TROY |
W 28-10 |
7 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
9/27 |
MINNESOTA |
W 34-21 |
4 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
10/4 |
@ WISCONSIN |
W 20-17 |
6 |
2.0 |
1.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
10/11 |
PURDUE |
W 16-3 |
9 |
0.5 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
10/18 |
@ MICHIGAN STATE |
W 45-7 |
5 |
0.5 |
0.5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
10/25 |
PENN STATE |
L 13-6 |
6 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
11/8 |
@ NORTHWESTERN |
W 45-10 |
5 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
11/15 |
@ ILLINOIS |
W 30-20 |
8 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
11/22 |
MICHIGAN |
W 42-7 |
7 |
2.5 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
1/5 |
BOWL-TEXAS |
L 24-21 |
8 |
0.5 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
10-3 (7-1) |
|
84 |
9.5 |
3.5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2008 STATISTICS