Syracuse Football Signee Ifeatu Melifonwu Adds Size to Secondary

We continue every week to breakdown the Syracuse football 2017 recruits as we progress through the offseason. Next up on the block is Ifeatu Melifonwu.

One of the best commits Syracuse football received in the 2017 recruiting cycle was from Ifeatu Melifonwu. He hails from Grafton Academy in Massachusetts.

Melifonwu is a 6-foot 3 200-pound rangy safety that has football rooted in his family. Ifeatu’s brother, Obi, was a defensive back for UConn, Obi is going through the NFL draft process right now and is projected to be a 3rd round pick by Foxsports.com.

Ifeatu will add size, speed, and great ball skill’s to Syracuse’s secondary. In recent years when Syracuse has struggled mightily in the secondary it has often been due to a lack of size and ball skills.

The Massachusetts native received lots of late interest from Michigan and Jim Harbaugh, the Wolverines actually extended an offer to the DB. Ultimately, Syracuse was able to fend off Michigan for his services. Ifeatu cited an opportunity to play on both sides of the ball as a big reason for his commitment to Syracuse. Lets take a look at the highlights:

Melifonwu lines up at quarterback a couple times to take direct snaps. The first thing that jumps out to you is his blazing speed.

At the :17 mark he takes the direct snap, uses his great vision to find the whole, then blasts through it like he was shot out of a cannon for a 60-yard TD.

If you look at the :29 second mark, Melifonwu takes the pitch and uses his size to see over the defense. He’s able to see where the holes are on a very impressive run that combines great vision and lateral quickness.

While at the 1:54 mark, Melifonwu uses his great ball skills to locate the ball, run to the spot and make a nice diving catch. Although he is lined up at wide receiver, this is a skill defensive backs must possess.

Also at the 2:28 mark, Melifonwu just displays his speed and athleticism in a long TD run. His tape is

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probably the most impressive I have seen out of any player in the class of 2017 in terms of raw athleticism and speed. Just look at his insane hurdle at the 3:52 mark.

The last two plays I want to look at feature Melifonwu lined up as a DB. This is the most likely position he projects as for Syracuse, so seeing his skills at this position is important.

At the 3:05 mark Melifonwu reads the quarterbacks eyes and runs to where the ball is being thrown. He does a nice job high pointing the ball, making sure the receiver has no shot to catch it for the easy Interception.

While the final play I want to look at occurs at the 4:55 mark. Melifonwu is lined up at DB and he drops back into a zone. You see his great break on the ball as he comes up to make a hit on the receiver jarring the ball loose. His unusual combination of speed, size, and ball skills will make him a very impressive corner.

Next: Syracuse Football Recruiting Sitdown: Kingsley Jonathan

There will be more player breakdowns coming out over the next few weeks! Check out Nykeim Johnson’s and Cam Jordan’s.

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