247Sports
One of the top athletes in the country has made his college choice. Chris Graves, a four-star athlete from Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers, Florida, announced his commitment to Miami (FL) live on CBS Sports HQ on Friday afternoon. Graves, a 6-foot-1, 175-pounder, chose the Hurricanes over finalists Florida, LSU and South Carolina.
Graves is currently ranked No. 288 overall in the Class of 2022 by the 247Sports Composite, which combines rankings from all major recruiting services. The 15th-ranked athlete in the country had 27 catches for 500 yards and four touchdowns on offense, with 26 tackles, four pass breakups and one interception as a cornerback on the defensive side of the ball. He is expected to find a full-time home at cornerback once he arrives in Coral Gables.
Andrew Ivins, southeast recruiting analyst for 247Sports, provided this scouting report on Graves.
“Has the length that college coaches covet. Owns a slender build now, but body should undergo a bit of a transformation as it continues to mature. A wide receiver that’s in the process of making the transition to cornerback. Still trying to figuring things out on defense and master his coverage techniques, but checks off a lot of the right boxes with his long stride, ball skills and overall competitiveness. Runs with what looks like a bounce to his step. Shifty when it comes to changing directions. Appears to be the most comfortable working closer to the line of scrimmage where he is able to put his hands on wide receivers and get them off schedule. Understands how to mirror with his hips and has the foot speed to recover from some of his mistakes.
“Longer arms help eliminate throwing lanes and he has shown on the 7-on-7 circuit that he will fight through hands to break up a pass. Totaled over 500 receiving yards as a junior while also finding a way to make an impact on special teams. Must add some functional strength over the next few years so that he’s able to take college-sized players to the ground. Could also find a lower center of gravity when he’s in reverse. An intriguing prospect given his traits that’s actually young for his grade and won’t turn 18 years old until August of 2022. Will need some time before he’s ready to take meaningful snaps at the Power 5 level, but ceiling is high. Likely to find the most success in a defensive system that wants its cornerbacks to play press-man or bump coverage.”
Graves is the fourth player to commit to coach Manny Diaz’s program during the 2022 recruiting cycle — three of whom are four-star prospects.
