Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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up with bigger offensive targets. "Anytime we needed a big play throwing the ball, he was the guy the quarterback looked to," Hulme said. "Defensively, if we played a team that had a big-time receiver, then we would shift him over and he would shut anybody down. He's got the size to play against big receivers, but he's also got the speed to stay at cor- ner. "That's what makes him so valu- able." Adebo's brother, Mouf, plays de- fensive end at Sam Houston State of the Football Championship Sub- division. Paulson — who formally requested a name change this year after going by Saiid previously — has said in the past that his brother's ex- perience with recruiting has helped the family. Paulson's mother, who was born in the African country of Benin, was also impressed with the academic presentation from the Irish when the family visited South Bend in March. "She liked it a lot, too, because she's big on education," said Adebo, who holds a 3.9 GPA. Hulme said that players with Adebo's size would have likely been moved to safety years ago. But with the evolution of football, he's a good fit as a college corner. And Adebo has the right attitude for a corner as well, the coach noted. "He's got such a competitiveness about him," Hulme said. "He's very quiet, very humble, but when you strap it on and turn the lights on Friday night, he doesn't want to get beat. "He's very competitive in that sense. That's what you want as a cor- ner." ✦ FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Paulson Adebo has very good size for a cor- ner, checking in at 6-1 with long arms … He's at his best at the line of scrimmage, where he can use his length and fast hands to jam and reroute receivers … He is a quality athlete with above-average speed, impressive quick- ness and easy change of direction skills … His impressive track times (10.83 in the 100-meter dash and 21.46 in the 200-meter dash) show potential for greater football speed down the road … Has quick feet and loose hips, which leads to smooth transitions. Areas For Improvement He is a willing tackler, but in order for this to be a strength at Notre Dame he must add weight, get stronger and tackle lower … He is a quick leaper, but he does not get much height off the ground … He is erratic with his stance, which causes him to get high at times … When this happens, his transitions are not as smooth. — Bryan Driskell "DEFENSIVELY, IF WE PLAYED A TEAM THAT HAD A BIG-TIME RECEIVER, THEN WE WOULD SHIFT HIM OVER AND PRETTY MUCH HE WOULD SHUT ANYBODY DOWN. HE'S GOT THE SIZE TO PLAY AGAINST BIG RECEIVERS, BUT HE'S ALSO GOT THE SPEED TO STAY AT CORNER." FORMER MANSFIELD (TEXAS) HIGH COACH JEFF HULME ON ADEBO