USFL Player Evaluation of Ole Miss WR De’Zhaun Stribling by Luke Staton
De’Zhaun Stribling is a 6’2, 207-pound wide receiver from the University of Mississippi. The Hawaii native played high school football at Kapolei High School in Kapolei, Hawaii, where he would earn Second-Team All-State honors and a 3-star rating as a wide receiver, and be nominated to play in the Polynesian Bowl. During his time in high school, he would also letter in both basketball and track, further proving his athleticism. He would choose Washington State out of high school over schools such as Wake Forest, Hawaii, and San Diego State, and would redshirt his freshman year there in 2020 and stayed there for the 2021 and 2022 seasons, where he hauled in 95 catches for 1,073 yards and 10 touchdowns before transferring to Oklahoma State for the 2023 and 2024 seasons, where he would miss most of the 2023 season due to a broken wrist. He would return in 2024, where he would have a stellar campaign with the Cowboys, setting career highs in both yards and touchdowns with 882 yards and 6 touchdowns. After this season, he would transfer again to Ole Miss for his final season, where he would have 55 catches for 811 yards and 6 touchdowns as the number 2 receiver in Ole Miss’ Offense, which would culminate in a win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, where Stribling recorded 7 catches for 122 yards. His year ended against Miami, where he recorded 5 catches for 77 yards in a 31-27 loss to Miami.
Stribling’s biggest attribute is his mental game, both on and off the field. He is a competitor, and it has shown on the tape. He has improved every year he has been in college, and the level of competition hasn’t mattered. That kind of development doesn’t happen for just anybody. Stribling has a good competitive toughness and is solid in his processing and play speed. He has solid athletic ability all across the board, but his best asset is his speed. Stribling would run a 4.36 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, but that speed does not always show up on the tape. His acceleration leaves room for improvement, as it takes him a long time to reach his top speed on the field. He has an average release, which makes it difficult for him to get separation from the line of scrimmage. His size and frame helped him block in the run game, where he was able to open up lanes for Ole Miss’s dynamic rushing attack. He has solid route-running abilities, with a solid break and zone feel, but a limited route tree will hold him back. His route tree consisted primarily of routes that let him use his size to box out defenders at the catch point, such as stops, curls, and fades. He has good hands and is solid in congested catches on deep routes, but struggles with contested catches against tight coverage against more athletic or longer corners.
Stribling is a big-bodied receiver who thrives when put in situations where his frame gives him an advantage. He can move defenders as a blocker, box out defenders at the catch point, and has also shown the ability to develop at every level he’s played at.
Scheme Fit and Team Fit:
Stribling is best suited for a zone run scheme that uses tight and condensed formations to create leverage against defenders to open up running lanes, where he can use his size to sustain blocks to enable the rushing attack that set up manageable third downs where he can use his frame and catch strength to keep the drive alive. For those reasons, I think the best fits for Stribling are the Bears and the Rams. Both of these teams run schemes that maximize Stribling’s blocking ability in a zone-run scheme and feature innovative offensive minds with a track record of developing players within their systems.
NFL Player Comp: Jakobi Meyers
My NFL player comparison for Stribling is Jakobi Meyers. Both players share nearly identical physical builds, and both have strong hands, the toughness for contested catch ability, and the IQ and work ethic to push their careers forward. They also have similar limitations, such as struggles against the press and tight coverage, slow and gradual breaks, and limited route trees.
Projection: Backup/Role Player
I project Stribling to be a Backup/Role Player in the NFL. He provides a lot of utility with his blocking and with his strong hands, but his on-field speed and limited route tree limit his overall effectiveness across the field.
Grade and Round Projection:
My final grade for Stribling is a 3.93, and I project him to be taken in the fourth round. Despite limitations, his improvement is very evident on tape and teams are willing to take a chance with his size, frame, and potential home-run ability shown with the 40 yard dash.
Leave a Reply