Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Arizona
Size:
Height: 5’11” | Weight: 208 pounds
Accomplishments:
Second-Team All-Mountain West (2023)
“Jacory Croskey-Merritt is an aggressive, downhill runner who makes defenses pay with vision and decisive lateral cuts into space.”
Strengths:
Press and pop
Cutback vision
Micromovements to create arm tackles
Patience
Concerns:
Tall runner
Rigid movements
Build-up speed
Pass protection
Film Analysis:
Jacory Croskey-Merritt was a multi-tooled Sidney Lanier High School player on offense and special teams. He compiled 2,354 all-purpose yards, rushing for 1,363 yards and eight touchdowns on 210 carries with 23 receptions for 382 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and added 231 punt return yards and 378 kickoff return yards.
A zero-star recruit out of high school, Croskey-Merritt committed to Alabama State, where he played four seasons and amassed 1,253 yards on 356 carries with 14 touchdowns before transferring to New Mexico. He had a breakout season for the Lobos with 189 carries for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns and decided to enter the transfer portal again and landed at Arizona. He played one game for the Wildcats, ran into eligibility issues from his time at Alabama State, and missed the rest of the 2024 season.
He’s a scheme-versatile back who shows good patience behind the line of scrimmage to locate cutback lanes and follow his blockers when pulling into space. Croskey-Merritt looks to get downhill in a hurry when he can, and while his speed is more build-up than explosive, he hits it with authority when the gap is open. Behind the line, he finds second-level defenders quickly and manipulates with good intention, pressing gaps and popping to other ones to open space. He uses his peripheral vision well to find space to jump cut into when navigating the second level. Getting up to speed, he runs upright and exploits angles with micromovements to make would-be tacklers turn into arm tackles so he can bounce off them.
Croskey-Merritt’s stop-and-start ability limits his re-acceleration when met behind the line of scrimmage, but he will grind out yards when given the opportunity. He needs to limit wasted movement when breaking down to jump cuts or make defenders miss, making his rushing attempts more efficient. As a receiver, he attacks the ball well when catching, but his rigid movements limit his impact as a route runner, leading to more of a check-down or wheel route runner. Allowing him to build up speed and attack the seams or downfield is where his receiving can exploit defenses. He’s a willing pass protector and will throw his body around, but his technique is lacking.
His downhill attacking style will mesh well in inside zone and gap-rushing offenses that look to get upfield quickly. However, his limitations on third down and as an overall athlete cap his ceiling in the NFL. He has upside as a first- and second-down change-of-pace back behind an offensive line that can keep him clean behind the line of scrimmage.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Scheme Specific Contributor
Written By: Daniel Harms
Exposures: Shrine Bowl (2025), New Mexico (2024), Boise State (2023)
