Strengths: physical traits, burst off the line, quickness
Weaknesses: finesse player and will need to anchor at point of attack
Austin Booker is a 6’5”, 230-pound defensive end from Greenwood, IN. Booker pledged to Minnesota over offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, Washington, Nebraska, and Iowa among other Power Five offers. He possesses a 5.6 3-star ranking from Rivals and is ranked the 32nd weakside defensive end in the country.
At 6’5” Booker has a long frame that will easily be able to put on muscle as he progresses. With athleticism and quickness to pair, the ceiling for a player like Booker is quite high due to the physical traits I mentioned above. The burst off the ball and the quickness to get across lineman’s face is something that instantly jumps out on film to me. He routinely is able to win with finesse and quickness which is intriguing for a player of his size.
I also think that Booker has a high ceiling especially as a pass rusher. He appears to have a few various pass rush moves in his repertoire that will only expand as time goes on. His film shows him winning with rips, swims, speed rush, etc. and I think due to his frame and athleticism that this is something he can build upon going forward.
Austin does show the ability to take on blocks from smaller offensive lineman at the high school level but most of his highlights show him winning with finesse. As he progresses to the next level and the competition gets that much bigger/stronger, he will need to be able to anchor at the point of attack particularly against the run.
Minnesota has a specialty targeting athletic recruits with high upside and Austin Booker fits that mold. My projection for him is a multi-year starter with an opportunity to be All-Big Ten.
Weaknesses: finesse player and will need to anchor at point of attack
Austin Booker is a 6’5”, 230-pound defensive end from Greenwood, IN. Booker pledged to Minnesota over offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, Washington, Nebraska, and Iowa among other Power Five offers. He possesses a 5.6 3-star ranking from Rivals and is ranked the 32nd weakside defensive end in the country.
At 6’5” Booker has a long frame that will easily be able to put on muscle as he progresses. With athleticism and quickness to pair, the ceiling for a player like Booker is quite high due to the physical traits I mentioned above. The burst off the ball and the quickness to get across lineman’s face is something that instantly jumps out on film to me. He routinely is able to win with finesse and quickness which is intriguing for a player of his size.
I also think that Booker has a high ceiling especially as a pass rusher. He appears to have a few various pass rush moves in his repertoire that will only expand as time goes on. His film shows him winning with rips, swims, speed rush, etc. and I think due to his frame and athleticism that this is something he can build upon going forward.
Austin does show the ability to take on blocks from smaller offensive lineman at the high school level but most of his highlights show him winning with finesse. As he progresses to the next level and the competition gets that much bigger/stronger, he will need to be able to anchor at the point of attack particularly against the run.
Minnesota has a specialty targeting athletic recruits with high upside and Austin Booker fits that mold. My projection for him is a multi-year starter with an opportunity to be All-Big Ten.
