Andrew Beck recruit scouting report: talented inside linebacker

Andrew Beck is one of the top linebacker recruits in the state of Florida. Out of Tampa's Plant High School, Beck is a tackling machine, tallying 126 tackles and six sacks in the 2012 season. He also plays tight end, though most schools are recruiting him as a linebacker.

Beck checks in at 6'3 and 230 pounds, which is excellent size for a high school linebacker. Beck holds offers from Stanford, Texas, Boston College, UConn, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, Memphis, Miami, Oklahoma, Rutgers, SMU, South Florida, and UCF.

Beck is a consensus three-star player, but is right on the cusp of being a four-star recruit on many of the major services. He is widely viewed as one of the top-50 linebackers in the country.

Bud Elliott, SB Nation National Recruiting Analyst: There is a lot to like about Andrew Beck. Here is some film from which I made my evaluation.

He plays mostly on the inside for Plant, and does it well. Beck is very capable of playing without a defensive tackle in front of him. He is aggressive and physical when taking on blocks, and picks through traffic to quickly find the ball carrier. For that reason, he could be an ideal middle linebacker in a 3-4 type defense (as of April 9, Stanford stands out among his offers as running this type of defense).

Beck us a sure tackler, and within a confined area, he shows good quickness. I am not sure if he will be great in pursuit or man coverage at the next level, but he does do well in zone coverage.

As a tight end, Beck shows good hands and he is very good as a blocker, moving his feet and staying with the defender as he moves him of the mark.

Beck is a player capable of contributing a lot to a defense, with very little downside. Whether he plays a lot as a freshman will likely hinge on the depth chart more than his readiness, as he is already college size.

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