Overview

Position: S

College: South Carolina

Class: Junior

Age: 21

 

Measurables

Height: 6’0 7/8”

Weight: 210 lbs.

Arm length: 32 7/8”

Hand size: 9 3/8”

 

Athletic testing

40-yard dash: 4.40 sec.

10-yard split: 1.56 sec.

Vertical jump: 37.0”

Broad jump: 130.0”

Bench press: 16 reps

3-cone drill: N/A

Short shuttle: 4.32 sec.

 

Strengths

Ideal overall size. Tremendous speed and athleticism. Very strong and secure overall tackler. Quick to pounce off a block and make the tackle. Always seems to bring down opponents when he gets his hands on them. Positions himself at the second level to make head-on tackles. Great technique rolling his hips into wrap-up tackles. Impressive physicality and pop making tackles in the box. Very effective tackling opponents low. Controlled and square tracking and tackling ball-carriers in the open field. Physical taking on blockers in space. Quick and strong to disengage and tackle in the open field. Keeps outside contain defending the run from inside the box. Wraps up in the hole filling as a backside run defender. Terrific pursuit blitzing as the backside defender. Secure tackler lined up off the edge. Fast and controlled as a delayed blitzer. Shows an ability to smoothly dip while maintaining speed as a blitzer. Came off the edge to make a stop on a quarterback sneak at the goal line by LSU (2025). Saw heavy slot usage. Excellent instincts reading and breaking on underneath throws. Great reaction time jumping on routes in front of him. Physical early in the route. Will blanket tight ends underneath. Outstanding accuracy deflecting passes at the catch point. Hands are extremely accuracy poking the ball away. Showed recovery speed if he falls behind defending vertical routes. Fluid dropping in deep zone coverage. Tremendous athleticism playing the ball in the air. Terrific ability to track the ball down the field and make a play on it. Excellent effectiveness leaving his feet for deflections. Very instinctive in general playing the ball in the air. Usually doesn’t panic and has a knack for playing the receiver as the ball arrives. Good ability to match opponents in coverage on scrambles.

 

Weaknesses

Needs to avoid getting flat footed versus vertical routes from the slot. Will get crossed up defending vertical stems in the slot. Needs to avoid falling behind downfield routes in general. Can have trouble sticking with quicker receivers from the slot in man coverage. Has some general stiffness versus shifty opponents. Can guess and get spun around in coverage. Could be more controlled tackling in space after retreating from shallow coverage. Would like to see more relentless pursuit away from the ball. Bigger offensive lineman can latch on and take him out in the box. Awareness should be better versus blocks trying to pin him inside from the sideline. Can have better recognition versus screen passes.

 

NFL comparison

Jeremy Chinn

 

Conclusion

Overall, Kilgore is an athletic safety with ideal size and great effectiveness bringing down opponents as a tackler. He should benefit from more traditional box or split safety usage rather than seeing most of his time in the slot at the next level.

 

Big Board ranking: #67 | Positional ranking: #6