The Film Room with Mason Robinson: Evaluating RB Isaih Pacheco
Former Rutgers running back Mason Robinson highlights this brand new weekly feature in which he uses his college football experience to provide an evaluation for one of the Rutgers commitments.
This week, Robinson takes a look Vineland (N.J.) running back prospect Isaih Pacheco. After watching film on Pacheco, here is a look at Robinson's expert thoughts:
Strengths: I enjoy watching this kid run the ball. He's a fiery back, he plays with a ton of passion. He runs tough and uses his size really well. He does a good job of not getting caught when he breaks out to the clear.
Weaknesses: His speed is a concern. I think he will be able to get a little faster in college, but right now he lacks that extra gear. I didn't see a lot of catches on his film which makes me wonder about his catching ability out of the backfield. I also did not see much special teams, which most players will have to play at the next level. He didn't have any clips of him blocking, which he will have to do at the next level.
Needs to work on: He needs to work on his running back IQ. He needs work on understanding defenses because he won't be able to outrun everyone. He needs improvement with his speed. He needs to show that he can catch. His cuts are also stiff at times.
Vision: He's obviously a running back playing quarterback. In the open field, he will find the right cut to make. However, my biggest concern with Pacheco is can he make those reads when he's playing a true running back? What I mean is, at quarterback, it's easy to fake a pass and get the secondary and linebackers to drop and then take off when no one is in your face. But can he make those cuts when linebackers are making their proper run fits? Or when those in the secondary are playing crack replace? He is a highlight reel, but I think it's a little easier when you have the entire defense dropping away from the line and then taking off against a soft rush.
Rating: This is where I would need to see more kids. I would rank him a 3-star just from being the first player I watched.
Final Thoughts: This kid is talented. A great athlete and looks like he can take a game over single handedly. He's certainly a D1 caliber player. He has a great build and knows how to use it. At time, he plays bigger than his size indicates. My concerns for him is can he play a true running back? Can he play out of the home position or out of the gun? Can he read blitz pick up? I didn't see him block once on his film.
His opponents that his team beat had a combined record of 28-54. Before the playoffs started, the combined record was 19-52. It seems like he may have had an easy schedule. The competition level was not there and it's easy to flourish with a schedule like that. The two opponents that defeated Vineland outscored them by a total of 49-0. As a quarterback and star player, if you're unable to score yourself, you should at least be able to set up your teammates to score.
He also seemed a little cocky at times on the film, which can overshadow his confidence (which I think he has a lot of). I am a person that likes guys with an ego. However, I do know if the level of cockiness is high, then it's easy to get under that person's skin and get them out of their game, which could've happened in the two games they lost. I know he can't do anything about his schedule other than what he did, but he will need to go through a grooming process at running back.. If he can catch on quickly and prove to be able to do what he didn't show on his highlight film, I can see him being a dynamic player at the next level.
Mason Robinson was a fomrer four-star recruit out of Somerville High School and played at Rutgers from 2007-2012. Robinson owns his own training company called Shock the World and is also training running backs for the NFL at TEST Football Academy in Martinsvile, N.J.