Eagerton covers everyone's best for Empire

Ethan Eagerton

The rundown: Empire, senior, ATH/DB, 6-1, 190

Who he is: A long, cover corner with a smooth backpedal, who looks nothing like the player he was his freshman year. Eagerton began playing in the second grade, stopped two years later and picked it back up in eighth grade. Now he is entering his fourth season as a varsity starter. Eagerton was mainly a wide receiver as a freshman, because as a corner, “He played like he was afraid to make a mistake,” coach W.T. Jeffries said. Thanks to working hard since then, running ladders, doing defensive-back drills and running sprints on the track, Eagerton has become the team’s best cover corner, according to Jeffries. The senior has also added 40 pounds of muscle over the last three years, which allows him to play physically in the press. On top of his defensive duties, Jeffries plans to have Eagerton average 20 touches per game, whether it comes from catching passes, taking handoffs, returning punts and kickoffs or playing in the wildcat formation.

Proof he’s good: Despite playing in a run-oriented offense, Eagerton recorded 1,025 all-purpose yards,while leading the team in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. He also accounted for 499 kickoff return yards and one touchdown. In a 70-13 loss to Catalina Foothills last year, Jeffries used Eagerton mainly in the wildcat position — when the ball is snapped to a player other than the quarterback. He racked up 142 rushing yards and one touchdown on 15 carries. Eagerton is being recruited by Arizona, NAU, Northwest Missouri State, UC-Davis, Western New Mexico and Cornell.

After attending the Blue-Grey All-American Combine in Dallas, Eagerton has been invited to play in the All-Star game at AT&T Stadium. Salpointe Catholic’s Justin Holt, an Arizona commit and four-star recruit, was also invited to the game.

Season goal: After a disappointing 4-6 season in 2014, Eagerton wants to get into the postseason, something the Ravens haven’t done since his freshman year, when they reached the state quarterfinals. But Eagerton didn’t get much time on the field in the playoffs that year, said Jeffries, who is entering his third season as Empire’s coach. The only personal goal Eagerton has is to break the single-season mark of 12 touchdown catches, set by J.J. Gret-ta during his freshman year.

He said it: “I know I can put him on their best receiver and he can lock them down. It’s nice to know I have one half of the field covered. I can tell you right now, he will be covering their best receiver, it doesn’t matter where they line up. Ethan will be on their best receiver.” – Jeffries