PROSPECT SUMMARY – DONNIE CORLEY

After originally starting his career at Michigan State, Corley was an instant hit for the Spartans. Getting into some disturbing off the field troubles, he was dismissed from the program. Landing at Coahoma Community College, he then signed with Texas Southern where he went on to play one season. Proving to be one of the more explosive FCS options in the country, he had one of the more notable seasons in the nation. Despite playing on a team that struggled to an 0-11 record, Corley continued to produce. A slender wide receiver prospect, he contains lots of body control. In full control of his frame, he’s a creative route-runner in the short to intermediate areas with potential for occasional deep shots deep. Corley’s biggest improvements are that he must continue to gain weight and catch consistency.

Ideal Role: Developmental Z receiver that could spend time on the practice squad prior to potentially developing into a wideout that fills out the latter parts of the depth chart.

Scheme Fit: Scheme-diverse Z receiver.

FILM EVALUATION

Written by Jordan Reid

Games watched: Southern (2019), Louisiana-Lafayette (2019), Houston Baptist (2019), Grambling State (2019)

Best Game Studied: Houston Baptist (2019)

Worst Game Studied: Alabama State (2019)

Route Running: A smooth operator as a router-runner, Corley transitions well in and out of his breaks. A multiple level threat, he has the twitch necessary to operate in multiple areas, but his most efficient areas have been the short and intermediate portions of the field. Hardly ever off balance or attempting to do too much, he performs detailed patterns.

Hands: He has strong hands that he uses to squeeze the ball in plenty of different environments. Corley’s biggest downfall is that he will have focus drops on occasion, but follow it up with a catch in heavy traffic. Eliminating the easy drops will help him become a much more consistent player overall.

Separation: Corley’s ability to create operating room is natural. He's strong in route stems and his ability to slam on brakes and change directions are notable. Even though he must continue to be stronger at the catch point, he plays the game much stronger than his skinny body frame indicates.

Release Package: Creative at the line, Corley has a well thought out process when faced with press coverage. Switching up his releases often, he contains many plans of how to get off of the line and avoid the physicality of the opposition. Fighting pressure with pressure, he can fight through the initial storm of contact if unable to avoid jam attempts.

Run After Catch: With slightly above-average speed at the position, Corley isn’t a natural creator after the catch, but can pick up extra yards that are allotted. Because of possessing such a slender frame, he isn’t a prospect that will break many tackles consistently, either.

Ball Skills: Containing adequate hand-eye coordination, Corley has sufficient ball skills that enable him to go up and attack the football. Having plenty of impressive catches on his resume, there are lots of examples throughout the 2019 season of how he can make receptions even in inclement conditions.

Football IQ: As a route-runner, Corley displays lots of football intelligence. With his release plans, there’s lots of nuance in his game where he understands how to attack the technique that defensive backs are playing against him. At the catch point, he’s able to display different hand positionings to haul the ball in all while protecting his frame from big hits.

Versatility: Spending time on both sides of the field and in the slot, he has gained experience playing in a multitude of different spots. Having success from all areas, he’s a player that possibly could be an option that cross-trains in order to play at either spot on the next level.

Competitive Toughness: A clear sign of Corley having high levels of competitiveness is him continuing to produce despite being on a team that went winless in 2019. As part of a team that recorded a 0-11 record, he continued to produce in his own way. That is a testament to his football character, drive, and willingness to continue to want to get better.

Big-Play Ability: One of the few consistent options in the Texas Southern offense, he proved to be a big-play threat on a weekly basis. Because of his marginal speed, his big-play consistency could prove to be much more challenging on the next level. His most consistent plays have come in the short to intermediate areas, which likely will be the role he serves the best at as he continues to move higher in competition.