Film Study: A&M’s Speedy Noil is dynamic in the mold of Odell Beckham

It’s funny how football is so cyclical.

Ever since lengthy receivers like Herman Moore (6’4″, 218 lbs), Michael Irvin (6’2″, 207 lbs) and Randy Moss (6’4″, 210 lbs) dominated football, in part, due to defenses not being able to find suitable matchups for players who would normally be roaming an NBA backcourt, the lengthy cornerback has come en vogue.

For every Julio Jones (6’3″, 220 lbs), A.J. Green (6’4″, 210 lbs), Demaryius Thomas (6’3″, 230 lbs) and Dez Bryant (6’2″, 225 lbs), we now find Richard Sherman (6’3″, 195 lbs), Brandon Browner (6’4″, 221 lbs), Patrick Peterson (6’1″, 219 lbs) and Sean Smith (6’3″, 218 lbs) lining up right across them in something that usually resembles the grappling element of mixed martial arts, opposed to the technique-based battles we saw during football tilts of yesteryear.

But slowly and steadily football is starting to get back to the “smaller” receivers who excel in the technical aspects of football: the ability to make the bottom of every route look the same, having the smoothest “stem” phase as possible and plucking the ball away from their body.

And although last year’s NFL Draft produced a couple of monsters in the 6’5″, 231-pound Mike Evans, as well as the 6’5″, 240-pound Kelvin Benjamin, it was the 6’1″, 211-pound Sammy Watkins who saw his name come off the board first as the fourth-overall selection of the Buffalo Bills.

Moreover, it was the 5’11”, 198-pound Odell Beckham Jr., of the New York Giants, who captured the imagination of the entire sport on his way to numerous accolades — most notably the offensive rookie of the year — behind a 91-catch, 1,305-yard season (12 touchdowns)…in just 12 games!

With the recent trend having a chance to continue with Biletnikoff Award-winner Amari Cooper looking like crème de la crème of receiving targets for the forthcoming draft, all 6’1″, 211 pounds of him, many are wondering who has next in college football.

Those who are wondering may not have watched Texas A&M football this past season as rising sophomore Speedy Noil has a ton of the same traits as Beckham and Cooper.

This kid is beyond special.

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I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that the Aggies, along with the University of Mississippi, were in possession of, perhaps, the deepest receiving corps in the country.

It’s certainly arguable that Noil is not even the best receiver on A&M, especially considering he lines up next to other young talents like Josh Reynolds and Ricky Seals-Jones — who are 6’4″, 190 pounds and 6’5″, 225 pounds, respectively.

But for some odd reason, I feel it’s the 5’11”, 190-pound Noil who has the ability to capture the imagination of college football fans in very similar fashion to Beckham Jr.

It must be something in the water as both OBJ and Speedy hail from the great state of Louisiana — Baton Rouge and New Orleans, respectively. In fact, many penned Noil in as following in OBJ’s footsteps in starring for the Tigers of LSU.

And while it may have made for a neat story, the reality of LSU’s quarterback situation, or lack there of, would’ve eventually hit and we may not have seen Noil’s true potential in Tiger land — although he would’ve received the benefit of one of the best rushing attacks in football.

At A&M, Noil is not only provided with an endless supply of talent at the QB position, he also benefits from playing in head coach Kevin Sumlin’s high-powered, pass-centric offensive scheme.

Meaning even with a ton of talent out wide, there’s more than enough targets to go around. And much like Beckham Jr., Noil has supreme versatility within his skill set which allows him to play any of the Aggies’ receiving positions.

Route-Running Prowess/ Body Control

As a former defensive back I’m here to tell you: I’d much rather face a bigger receiver as most of them are unaware how to properly run a route. (Unless they’re some type of freak like West Virginia’s Kevin White.)

Too many times the bigger receivers think they can out-muscle everyone and don’t take care of the nuances of route-running: rounding off during a transition phase, running routes at improper depth and telegraphing certain routes by raising their torso too prematurely.

I may have waken up in a cold sweat thinking about how to defend a player like Noil.

He’s excellent at the bottom of his route as he pushes up field with some serious aggression, and then he’s able to stop on a dime and make change for snacks (Juju Beans?). But it’s his ability to control and position his body, at the moment of truth, that most reminds me of Beckham.

You can’t tell me this doesn’t look like OBJ: He ate up the cushion the corner provided despite him bailing, which is a testament to how much he respected Noil’s speed, then he displayed some serious body control on the pylon fade, high-pointing the ball and stretching for the touchdown (all in one motion).

Possessing a reported 45″ vertical leap (which sounds slightly fabricated), Noil plays above the rim which makes him a 50/50-ball nightmare; playing him in the slot takes away from his most prominent weapon, though. Sumlin does a fantastic job at deploying him out wide even though he certainly has the skill set to dominate inside with his agility.

YAC

What really separates Noil from most is with his physicality despite his average-sized frame. Much like OBJ and Cooper — and most notably Steve Smith (Carolina Panthers) — Speedy is a complete nightmare once the ball is in his hands.

In the Sumlin scheme, hitches, slants and curls are all very prominent as it’s an offense predicated on the quick game. His agility is top-notch, however, he’s physical enough to run through arm tackles and plays the game very much like a running back when the ball is in his hands.

Here we see Noil navigating a quick hitch versus area coverage. Playing off Noil is silly especially when you factor in the Aggies’ quick screen game. (Well, actually, playing up on Noil is equally as silly as he will pretty much blow right by you.)

Noil is a powerhouse who’s not afraid to lower his shoulder if necessary which coincides with his prep time as an option quarterback.

It makes you wonder why Noil only received one rushing attempt last season — which actually went for 10 yards.

Flair For The Dramatic

The aspect I most draw from Beckham from watching him play all these years is just how much of an entertainer he really is. His famed one-handed catches aside, he just looks electrifying no matter what he’s doing; Noil is cut from that same cloth.

You can tell when a player is darn near showing everyone up by how many exchanges he has with defenders after a play. You really don’t see Noil initiate trash talk, it’s just the way he moves and gestures that gets under the opposition’s skin.

It didn’t hurt that he arrived with a ton of hype, either. But you can just tell he knows how good he is.

Case in point: I still don’t see how he came up with a TD on that 9-route; he acted as if it were just another play.

Noil exemplifies what it means to be a complete player, and he’s a throwback to when receivers won with skill opposed to sheer size. Much like Beckham, Cooper and Watkins he will capture the imagination of fans everywhere with his ability to win with the technical aspects of the sport.

Pretty soon the smaller corners will increase in value to counteract these type of players.

So cyclical.

Murf Baldwin

Former linebacker/safety Murf Baldwin specializes in diving deep into the Xs and Os of the game with the goal of educating and entertaining while bringing fans closer to their team.