Eugene Asante, LB, Auburn
Size:
Height: 6004
Weight: 223
Arm: 30 ¼”
Hand: 8 ¼”
Accomplishments:
Four-star recruit
"Eugene Asante is a fireball shot out of a cannon with impressive speed to trigger and deliver hits.”
Strengths:
Athleticism
Speed
Effort plays
Coverage upside
Concerns:
Shedding blocks from long linemen
Relies on athletic gifts
Bites on play fakes
Film Analysis:
Eugene Asante is a former Concorde District defensive player of the year in his senior year who helped Westfield High School win a state championship in his junior year. The four-star recruit racked up accolades and was named first-team All-USA Virginia by USA Today. He also participated in track and field, putting his speed to great use. He committed to North Carolina, where he struggled to make an impact in his three years, accumulating 62 tackles, one tackle for loss, one pass defensed, and one forced fumble. He transferred to Auburn and struggled with the idea of playing football after a tough year, but he found the love for it again and broke out in his second season with the Tigers. Over the last two seasons, Asante racked up 133 tackles, 13 for loss, and seven and a half sacks.
One of Auburn’s team captains, Asante plays linebacker with his hair on fire as more of a part-time player who sees the field less against heavier offensive lineups. Against the run, he’s willing to throw himself into the fray, but play fakes cause quick triggers away from the play and he tends to lose sight of the football. When flowing with zone runs, he will take on blocks and aggressively looks to shed, but length from an offensive lineman can swallow him up and out of the play. He’s an aggressive gap shooter and uses his athleticism to undercut blocks to get into the backfield and cause havoc to get tackles for loss.
When playing against the pass, Asante offers upside as a man coverage defender with his athletic traits and speed to close the gap against throwing lanes. However, the same motions and fakes that move him out of position against the run have the same effect here and can open passing lanes underneath for quick throws. His zone movement is good, and he gets proper depth while passing off receivers underneath and triggering quickly on throws.
For all his experience in college football, he still relies on athletic gifts to make plays instead of using proper technique. When blitzing the quarterback, his true nature shines, and he throws himself at blockers with reckless abandon and speed, looking to blow by potential blockers or toss them aside. He could improve as a [ass rusher if he adds some technique to defeat blocks instead of continuing to throw his body at them time and time again.
Asante projects best as a WILL or coverage linebacker who plays predominantly against the pass and can threaten opposing quarterbacks with quick blitzes. His athletic ability and speed will be intriguing, but he’s more of a sub-package linebacker.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Scheme Specific Contributor
Written By: Daniel Harms
Exposures: Alabama (2024), Texas A&M (2024), Georgia (2024), Missouri (2024)
