One to Watch Arkansas: Cabot 2017 Recruit Easton Seidl Filling it Up at MLB

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

Cabot High School linebacker Easton Seidl is on the verge of being a top tier recruit. Perhaps he is so close he does not even see it yet himself, but with some offseason work in a couple of easy to improve areas, he could be a big standout player in the 2017 class.

Seidl is almost the model of building the perfect beast at inside linebacker. He is 6’2”, 251 pounds, and has the strength to man the middle already bench pressing over 300 pounds and squatting over 400. He also has the stats to back up his play on the field coming up with 83 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two pass breakups, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two sacks, and five quarterback hurries as a sophomore.

The central Arkansas product bumped up his production in 2015 helping the Panthers to a 10-1 record with a tough 35-25 first round playoff loss to Fort Smith Southside. Along the way Seidl had 90 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, two interceptions, five pass breakups, three forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, three sacks, eight quarterback hurries, and one blocked field goal in limited action because Cabot engineered some blowouts allowing their All-Conference player to sit out some quarters in the second half of various contests.

What is the one thing holding him back? A little more speed and flexibility.

Seidl, even by his own words, wants to improve his 40-yard dash time, which he already has. He jumped his time from a 5.2 in 2014 to a 4.8 in 2015. If offseason workouts go as planned, along with his size and playing ability, a camp 40-yard dash time in the 4.7 to 4.6 range would make him an even bigger “must get” recruit in the 2017 class than he already is becoming. A lot of schools are showing interest. Programs like Arkansas, Kansas, Florida State, TCU, Harding, Arkansas State, Henderson State, Nebraska, and Missouri are all waiting to see what Seidl will do during the one-day college camp circuit and during his senior campaign.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview, I sat down with Seidl to talk about his junior season, his offseason workout plans, and got a recruiting news update.

Interview

Easton, you have put together really productive back-to-back seasons at linebacker for Cabot. How has your progression at linebacker evolved from your sophomore to junior season?

“A lot of people did not know how slow I was. I ran a 5.2 as a sophomore but I increased it to a 4.8. That helped my play on the field a lot. I was getting to the ball quicker this year and getting through blocks better. Our junior year, our team was better. We killed a lot of teams this year. In three games I only played a half and against Fair I only played the first two possessions.”

What is the focus of your offseason workouts?

“Mainly improving my speed and quickness. I have the size and strength. My main goal is to get my 40 down to a 4.6 or 4.7 and my shuttle down to a 4.2. I’m just working on trying to get faster.”

It is early, but do you have an idea about which one-day college camps you’ll attend coming up?

“I’m going to go to a bunch of camps, I’m not sure which ones yet. I plan on going to camps all summer.”

You have the size and stats, but what are your strengths on the field at linebacker?

“I have a really high football IQ. I’m good with my reads and I don’t miss tackles. If I have a tackle I’ll make it. I study a lot of film. I know plays before they happen. With most of the pass plays, I know where the ball is going to go. That’s an advantage for me.”

Did you earn any individual honors at the end of your junior season?

“I was Academic All-Conference and first team All-Conference. They did not give me all-state. I was kind of shocked. Some seniors broke some school records and got all-state.”

What are your goals for the 2016 football season?

“I want to be the leading tackler for the third year in a row for Cabot. I also want to break the single-season tackle record. Our schedule is changing so I’ll play more next year. I want to show out, make big plays, and help our team do well. If our offensive line is good next year I think we’ll have a good chance to win state.”

Will your role change in 2016? Do you think you’ll be playing some offense during your senior year? I know you’ve played some offense in the past.

“My sophomore year I was the backup fullback, I’d go in on fourth down situations. This year I moved to tight end but we did not throw it that much. I got some carries. I played tight end for the first half of the year and then they had me focus strictly on defense. I’ll play tight end again next year. I think the coaches are trying to throw it a little more each year.”

What was your best game in 2015, against who, and why was that your best game?

“It would have to be against North Little Rock or (Fort Smith) Southside. Against North Little Rock I had 16 or 17 solo tackles, four tackles for a loss, and I made some big plays in that game. Against Southside, our defense played good. I think I had 15 solo tackles, I made special teams plays, had some big blocks, had an onside kick recovery, and a fumble recovery.”

Which schools are showing recruiting interest in you right now?

“I’m getting interest from Kansas, Missouri, TCU, Nebraska, Florida State, and Arkansas. I’ve been to Arkansas and Henderson State on visits – they send emails. Southern Arkansas, OBU (Ouachita Baptist), Arkansas State, and Harding are also showing interest in me.”

What type of feedback have you received from the college coaches?

“They tell me they like how physical I am and they like my size. They tell me to work on my speed and that I could play from them if I get a little bit faster. They all like how aggressive I am.”

How did your Arkansas visit go for you?

“It was the first week of the season, their game against UTEP. They treated me like royalty. They had really pretty girls take us on a tour. I got to stand on the sidelines for the opening kickoff. I met some of the players and talked to some of the coaches like Barry Lunney Jr. (tight ends) and their running backs coach, Coach (Jemal) Singleton. They talked to me about my visit. I did not get to see the linebackers coach though (Vernon Hargreaves). It was a good game and good visit because they won.”

Are there any NFL guys you model your game after?

“I really like Luke Kuechly (Carolina Panthers) and Brian Cushing (Houston Texans). They are both big and aggressive.”

Do you play any other sports for Cabot?

“I played baseball for two years. I started my freshman and sophomore years but I quit to focus on football and my speed. I played basketball my freshman year too. I started but I didn’t like it.”

How are things in the classroom?

“Good. I have a 3.3 GPA. I get the occasional C but I’m pretty much an all A’s and B’s student.”

Do you know what you want to major in when you go to college?

“I want to major in kinesiology or special education. I want to be a coach when I get out of college or when I’m done playing football.”

What do you enjoy about playing football?

“Growing up, I was always a three sport guy. Football was always my passion, even growing up. I love the idea of hitting someone and not getting in trouble for it. I connect with football more.”

Easton, thanks for your time today. Good luck with your offseason workouts and the camp circuit.

“Thank you.”

Photo credit: twitter.com; No. 40 Easton Seidl gets a tackle against Catholic High School.

Photo credit: Seidl family; Easton visits the Arkansas Razorbacks.