Elijah Qualls Recruiting Update

The Oregon Ducks are interested in tail back/defensive end recruit Elijah Qualls, but they are not one of the seven Pac-12 schools who have sent him an offer. Qualls is also being heavily recruited in the Big Ten, as both the Wisconsin Badgers (February 24th) and the Michigan Wolverines (February 20th) have submitted offers-  the Iowa State Cyclones were the first to send him an offer.

At 6’2″, 265 pounds, Elijah Qualls has the ability to be a tail back at the collegiate level, but he is best used as a defensive end due to his raw skills. Character is not a concern with this California recruit, but he is a raw prospect at DE who is lacking technique-wise. He relies too much on his size and speed and does not have many true pass rushing moves, so expect him to struggle at first if used as a DE. Most teams are recruiting him as a defensive end, including Michigan.

Two problems that can be seen from the start with the four-star recruit (three stars according to 247Sports) are his inability to break a double team and the fact that his pad level is too high. Those should be corrected with coaching, and the things that Qualls does possess cannot be coached; hard-work and athleticism. Elijah Qualls is always willing to pursue the ball-carrier, and he won’t be found taking off plays.

He has terrific strength and can succeed as a DE with more coaching, but don’t expect to see him playing for the Oregon Ducks. They are considered a darkhorse at best, and Elijah Qualls will either play in the Big Ten or for a team in California. Cal has submitted an offer, while USC brought him to their Junior Day (they did not send an offer to him).

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