Cinema room: Cédric Works – On3

Kentucky’s 13th commitment in the Class of 2025 is a top-150 recruit and a top-10 player in Ohio. KSR’s Film Room takes a closer look at what Cedric Works can bring to Kentucky’s defense. The prospect is a wiry runner with an impressive athletic profile.

Positional athletics

The first thing that immediately stands out when you press play on Cedric Works’ junior tape is the overall athletic profile. Kentucky’s latest commit needs to add mass and improve his pass-rushing technique, but the raw tools are there.

Jobs can run, jump and chase the quarterback.

There is multiple video footage of Works failing to get to the quarterback as a rusher but still finding a way to create chaos. The EDGE prospect shows some of his basketball skills on the court with strong jumping ability leading to batted balls and steals. His raw athleticism immediately stands out. In pursuit, Works demonstrates a hot motor and punching power at impact.

This blue-chip prospect will need some development at the next level, but the raw physical tools are evident.

At Northmont, Cedric Works is used as a 4-3 defensive end, a 3-4 outside linebacker and an off-ball linebacker. The coaching staff asks the star player to do a lot of different things, but most of them focus on finding the football and chasing it. In passing reps, Works is usually just trying to get around blockers. The moves and countermoves will need to be developed and refined at Kentucky.

But Works shows physical gifts to make you believe that quick success could come quickly for the prospect at the next level.

Jobs can run the hoop like an edge rusher, meaning the prospect can lean and turn the corner with his front shoulder bent. This flexibility allows him to take the quickest possible path to the quarterback, and the prospect shows the ability to take that path with relative ease.

Once in the backfield, Works’ pursuit ability comes into play. The potential outside linebacker has the quick foot speed required to keep up with quarterbacks with some short zone quickness and close space quickly in the pocket.

The potential toolkit is intriguing because of these raw skills.

Recruit and develop

Kentucky considers itself a “recruiting and development” program. That means recruiting the most talented players possible and developing those prospects once they arrive on campus. Cedric Works is a highly ranked prospect because of his physical attributes, but the four-star recruit will need to be developed.

The edge rusher can bend, has excellent positional athleticism and displays the foot speed to chase down quarterbacks. Now he’ll have to bring all those skills together at Kentucky. Works will need to add mass to increase his play strength as he is not yet ready to take advantage in the running game. He’ll also have to learn some of the intricacies of playing strictly 3-4 outside linebacker after floating around in high school. But the pass rush potential is undeniable.

Kentucky landed a flexible edge rusher with a twitch that could turn into a corner threat and give opposing offenses …