As the NFL draft nears, USA TODAY High School Sports will look back at the high school careers and draft prospects for former American Family Insurance ALL-USA selections. Today’s installment features Florida linebacker Antonio Morrison.
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Linebacker Antonio Morrison runs the 40-yard dash during Florida’s Pro Day (Photo: Phelan M. Ebenhack, Associated Press)
PLAYER PROFILE:
Position: Inside linebacker
High school: Bolingbrook (Bellwood, Ill.)
ALL-USA history: Named to the American Family Insurance second team in 2011. A four-star prospect who was ranked as the No. 10 inside linebacker by Rivals.com, he led Bolingbrook to a 13-1 record and IHSA Class 8A state championship as a senior, the school’s first state title. Had 101 tackles, seven sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception as a junior.
College: Florida
Height, weight: 6-1, 232 pounds
Florida inside linebacker Antonio Morrison takes part in the Senior Bowl (Photo: Brynn Anderson, Associated Press)
By the numbers: A two-time All-SEC second-team selection, he had a team-high 103 tackles in 2015 and 101 in 2014. Had 12 tackles for loss in 2015 after six in 2014. Suffered knee injury in January 2015 but showed perseverance to be able to play and star last fall.
Draft positives: Emotional leader who plays with enforcer mentality. Motor is always on. Aggressive downhill defender who explodes from a standstill and fills the running lanes hard. Effective tackler. Sends a jolt to the ballcarrier and shows good wrap-up mechanics. Anticipates the action. Excellent first-step instincts. Good change of direction on the move.
Draft negatives: Limited lateral range. Shows a lack of top-end speed in space. Backs can outrun his angles. Overwhelmed by sizeable, powerful blockers. Gets lost in traffic.
Projection: Rounds 4/5
What he says:
STATISTICS AT FLORIDA
| Year | Tackles | Tackles/loss | Sacks | FdFum | Int |
| 2012 | 34 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2013 | 56 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | 101 | 6.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2015 | 96 | 11.0 | 2.5 | 1 | 0 |
| Career | 287 | 20.0 | 4.5 | 3 | 1 |
Draft analysis by Dan Shonka, Ourlads.com