21 Players in 21 Days: #2 DeMarvin Leal

DeMarvin Leal

Position: Defensive line

Classification: Junior
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
Listed Height: 6-4
Listed Weight: 290

Key notes from Olin’s analysis of Leal

• This could've been a coin flip, and if you've been keeping up, you know who tomorrow's player will be.

• He can do anything you want on the defensive line. If you move him inside, he's a little undersized - if you can be undersized at 290 - but is so quick that he'll give guards problems. He's dominant on the outside. He's quick and powerful. That quickness serves him so well.

• In the game against North Carolina, Leal fired off the right side of the offense. They were trying to pull a guard to block him on a draw. He was so athletic that he dips around the block and hits the running back for a three-yard loss. You can count on one hand how many guys in the world can do that.

• You see the speed and athleticism, but then there is the power. Look at the Tennessee game when he forced a fumble. That's as incredible of a play as you'll ever see. He's going to be a first-round pick, and the only question is how high.

• To me, the most bizarre thing is why the SEC media and apparently coaches left him off the first team of the All-SEC teams. I won't hold that against the coaches because coaches don't actually vote themselves. People aren't paying attention. He had 2.5 sacks off the end, which won't raise eyebrows, but he had eight hurries, one of which against KJ Costello forced a Myles Jones interception in the endzone.

• He has a knack to be in the right place at the right time. He had that interception against Alabama and that fumble recovery against Florida.

• He's such a great player, and he's so physical. Vanderbilt tried to run a bubble screen. By the time the guy turns, Leal is right there and levels him. You could make a 10-minute highlight reel of DeMarvin Leal.

• Having Leal opens one-on-one matchups for the other linemen. I'm interested to see what Mike Elko does on like third-and-10. Who does he put out there? Think about all the speed he could put out there to rush the passer at once. If you did a track relay of defensive linemen, I think Texas A&M would be the favorite against anybody. Between Leal, Clemons and Peevy, that would be a heck of a 'fat man' relay. (...and none of them are ‘fat.’)

Follow the entire 21 players in 21 days series here.