We're featuring some of our HomeTeam 100 players, including our No. 19 player, Plant LB Andrew Beck:
Beck finished last season with 126 tackles and two receptions for 22 yards and a touchdown, seemingly making it clear which side of the line of scrimmage his talents are best utilized.
Well, not so fast.
“If he was a tight end,” Panthers coach Robert Weiner said, “he’d be a top-five tight end in the country without any question. A lot of people think that maybe his best spot would have been there.”
But while Beck will get his chances to score more touchdowns this fall, he’ll almost certainly spend much more time trying to prevent them this season — and beyond.
The 6-foot-3, 235-pound linebacker will be “the quarterback of our defense,” Weiner said. Beck has distinguished himself with the Panthers’ coaching staff for his knowledge of the game and is even responsible for making some of the team’s defensive calls on the field.
The athleticism that has some coaches and recruiters thinking the University of Texas commit would make a great tight end also allows him to excel on defense, where he chases down ballcarriers and shows surprising nimbleness in pass coverage.
The next step in his development, Weiner said, is adding a little more violence to his repertoire.
“We really want him to become one of those big hitters,” Weiner said. “That’s the next level: becoming a warrior on the field.”
Also in this series:
Players 91-100
Players 81-90
Players 71-80
Players 61-70
Players 51-60
Players 41-50
Players 31-40
Players 21-30
Players 11-20