Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Profile:

Name: Blaze Alldredge

Position: Linebacker

Age: 23 (08/26/1998)

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 225 lbs.

Arm Length: 30 1/2”

Hand Length: 9 3/8”

Draft Projection: 7th Round/Undrafted Free Agent

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Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Pro Day Measurables:

40-Yard Dash: 4.89

Vertical Jump: 36”

Broad Jump: 122”

Player Comparison: Eric Striker (Oklahoma)

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Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

College Statistics:

Games Played: 51 (13 at Mizzou, 28 at Rice, 10 at Los Angeles Pierce College)

Total Tackles: 309.5 (81 at Mizzou, 140.5 at Rice, 88 at Los Angeles Pierce College)

Total Tackles for Loss: 54 (17 at Mizzou, 28 at Rice, 9 at Los Angeles Pierce College)

Total Sacks: 12.5 (4.5 at Mizzou, 6 at Rice, 2 at Los Angeles Pierce College)

Total Run Stuffs: 52 (20 at Mizzou, 32 at Rice)

Total Passes Broken Up: 8 (4 at Rice, 4 at Los Angeles Pierce College)

Total Interceptions: 4 (2 at Rice, 2 at Los Angeles Pierce College)

Total Force Fumbles: 1 (at Rice)

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College Accolades:

• 2020 1st-Team All-Conference USA
• 2020 Conference USA All-Academic Team
• 2020 Rice Football MVP
• 2019 1st-Team All-Conference USA
• 2019 Conference USA All-Academic Team
• 2019 Rice Football MVP
• 2018 Conference USA All-Academic Team

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Overview

Strengths: Good first step explosiveness. High level short-area quickness. Decent capability in hand fighting, is able to grab on and bring down the runner with solid grip strength. Does not give up on plays and features an incredible motor. Has demonstrated a high football IQ but not always physically capable of executing that knowledge.

Weaknesses: Does not bend particularly well around the edges. Not fluid in lateral pursuit or bend while chasing down the quarterback. Hasn’t demonstrated any substantial knock-back power or an ability to reliably play his assigned passing corridor. Struggles at the point of attack against the run and frequently over-pursues. A light frame causes issues if he must set the anchor on the edge. Works more upfield than sideline to sideline and can be beat due to poor closing speed and bad angles.

Outlook: When word came out that Missouri was replacing their two-year starting All-SEC, NFL Draft pick outside linebacker with an unranked prospect who didn’t have any FBS offers and had to go the JUCO route before ending up at Rice, there might have been some speculation as to what the coaching staff saw. But then you put on the tape and saw a guy who played max effort, body slammed runners to the ground, and created an ungodly amount of pressure on the quarterback as a pure edge-rushing 3-4 linebacker. No, he wasn’t the fasted. No, he didn’t have elite athleticism that overwhelmed his competition. But when he connected he absolutely destroyed plays and always, always finished the drill.

And what we saw is what we got.

One minute you were completely flummoxed with how far away from the ball carrier Alldredge found himself. The next, you couldn’t believe how fast he torpedoed the running back in the back field. There was no aspect of Blaze’s game that was quiet and that boom-or-best nature lead to a frustrating, but also exciting, 13-game career.

Alldredge finished the 2022 season with stats that were either comparable, or better, than Nick Bolton’s final season in Columbia. And, as a percentage of production, did more for the team than Bolton did as well. But football - and, specifically, drafting players - is not just a comparison of numbers and Alldredge is not the type of player that most NFL teams are willing to spend a pick on. There is always the chance that they do, of course, but the clearest path for Blaze is to sign as an undrafted free agent and hope to make a big enough impression with a team to hang around and possibly break into the rotation. The IQ and motor are there, he just needs a solid enough chance to prove it at the next level.

Best of luck to Blaze Alldredge as he begins his NFL journey. #MizzouMade