Film Room: Teremun Lott

Orange and Blue News breaks down the film on new Illini commit TJ Lott, wide receiver / athlete from Riviera Beach (Fla.)

Lott is raw, but he definitely has some wheels. It's a matter of finding the right position for him, putting some muscle on him in the strength program, and harnessing his raw athleticism. He's not a finished product as a football player yet, which accounts for his absence of other Power 5 offers.

On offense, Lott is best with the ball in his hands, so he's a guy you would want to get it out quickly to and let him gets yards after the catch. He's far from a polished route runner at this point. He makes rounded cuts, and at times just floats around looking for an open space in the defensive secondary.

Lott does get an very good initial release though, which makes you wonder why more coaches don't press him. When he gets a clean release, he's a vertical threat and he has the length to high-point the ball over the top of the coverage. In the open field, he can scoot, and he could be a contributor in the return game as well.

Illinois plans to play Lott on offense. We did take a brief at his defensive highlights, though. While he has very good catch up speed playing center field in the defense, he's not a natural defender. He doesn't have great instincts, particularly in run support when takes some bad angles. Though not a big hitter, he does get guys to the ground.

There's a long way to go before Lott can get open consistently and make plays against Big Ten defensive backs. He needs more strength to be able to come down with the ball in a crowd, and his speed is somewhat negated by his need to improve his route running.

Two things I do like about him as a WR; he finishes plays, and he's a willing blocker. His length helps him gets the maximum number of yards and you don't see him losing ground when he's tackled. He uses his hands and long arms well as a blocker in space.

I see Lott as a two-star wide receiver at this point, with a pretty decent upside because of his combination of length and straight-line speed.