12/16/2020 football Edit

Rutgers Scarlet Knights Football Signee Bio: TE Shawn Munnerlyn

Richie O'Leary • TheKnightReport

Publisher

Columbus (OH) Independence High School three-star tight end Shawn Munnerlyn has officially signed his letter of intent and is now a Rutgers Scarlet Knight.

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Statistics

• During his senior year, Munnerlyn appeared in three games and caught seven passes for 209 yards and three touchdowns.

• A little over a year ago, he finished his junior year campaign appearing in 10 games and catching 19 receptions for 409 yards and six scores.

Recruitment

• Originally pledged to Rutgers on July 18, 2020.

• Chose Rutgers over 22 offers from the likes of Arizona State, Army, Boston College, Kansas, Minnesota, Purdue, West Virginia and many others.

Did You Know?

• Along with football, the Ohio native also plays basketball.

• Munnerlyn technically plays wide receiver for his high school team and while he is projected as a tight end, he could also play defense at the next level.

They Said It

• Independence head coach Maurice Douglas: “Shawn has loads of potential with how much weight he can put on. He’s one of the best sprinters in Ohio and he can still maintain that elite speed if he puts on weight the right way. There aren’t many 6-foot-5 kids who can run around like him. He can be a mismatch for linebackers with his speed and a mismatch for defensive backs in terms of height. His biggest gift is that he’s a loyal kid. Shawn wants to do what his coaches ask him to do. Sometimes when you get a kid who’s that talented, they want to hear everyone say all the right things about them, but they don’t want to hear the constructive criticism. That has never been an issue with Shawn. His heart for becoming a great player and person is his best attribute.”

• Rivals Midwest Recruiting Analyst Josh Helmholdt: “Munnerlyn was a prospect I cited last week as needing a senior season, and selfishly I hope he gets one so we can get a better feel for how he might project to the tight end position, where the Scarlet Knights plan to play him. At 6-foot-5, Munnerlyn is right in line height-wise for the position, but he was a very narrow 200 pounds as a junior. Will he be able to maintain his movement skills with the added weight necessary to play tight end? The good news here is that even if tight end does not work out, Munnerlyn could still project to a number of other positions on both offense and defense. The plan, though, is to bring him in at tight end and we just do not have a good feel for how that plan will play out right now."

• TKR Film Analyst Anthony Siciliano: "Munnerlyn offers a great catch radius and has the ability to stretch the middle of the field vertically. Playing at his 6-foot-5 frame, he's a fluid athlete who runs smooth routes while getting his hips down, allowing him to get in and out of breaking routes. Munnerlyn has strong hands when attacking the football, but I'm impressed with his ability to track the ball when staying on his alignment with his route. He does a good job being disciplined to keep the defender on his back hip, which allows him to not make a play on the football. Munnerlyn also produces extremely well after the catch. The versatility that he brings in being able to line up in different positions on the field such as the "Y" tight end in a pro-style offense with his hand in the dirt, in the slot and outside as the 1-on-1 lone receiver can be very beneficial for him causing mismatches. He’s very underrated as a blocker and the level of physicality he plays with at the point of attack will translate to the collegiate level. Overall, Shawn Munnerlyn offers nice upside and can be a potential offensive threat for the Scarlet Knights."