Film Room: Martez Manuel
Matt Hamilton is a former college graduate assistant and currently works for the NFL Network. Throughout the year, he breaks down the film of Tiger commitments for PowerMizzou.com. Here is Hamilton's analysis of 2019 defensive back Martez Manuel.
Manuel is an athletic, versatile DB prospect that plays both safety and nickel at the high school level. He has good feet and hips, and shows very good change of direction. Shows and explosive first step and very good top end speed.
Plays a more physical style than his size suggests. Makes a lot of plays around the line of scrimmage, will come up and lay some hits. Shows the ability to locate, break, and effectively make plays on the ball.
Will have to adjust however when it comes to playing at depth at the next level. While his versatility, athleticism, and aggressive nature are huge pluses, there are more nuances to playing the position that he will have to hone against better passing offenses at the college level, particularly when it comes to his backpedal and route recognition.
Overall, though, Manuel is equipped with the tools to turn into a solid starting safety or nickel once he gets acclimated.