Taven Epps

Physical Profile

Possesses an elite frame for a young linebacker prospect, listed between 6-foot-3.5 and 6-foot-4 and weighing in the 220-235 pound range. [2, 4, 12] His long, angular build has significant room for additional mass without sacrificing his athletic traits. His background playing in the secondary early in his high school career is evident in his fluid movement skills in space. [2] Multi-sport participation in basketball and track (high jump) further underlines his coordination and explosive potential. [4, 9]

Play Style

Epps plays a high-energy, aggressive brand of football. He is frequently utilized as a stand-up pass rusher in his high school scheme, leveraging his quickness and length to disrupt the pocket, as evidenced by his 7 sacks as a sophomore and 13 QB hurries as a junior. [4, 7, 16] He is comfortable operating in space and shows good awareness in zone coverage, with 15 pass breakups over his first three varsity seasons. [4] His background as a two-way player (contributing at TE/WR) speaks to his overall athleticism and ball skills. [4, 13]

Strengths

• **Positional Versatility:** Epps offers genuine on- and off-ball flexibility. He demonstrates the range to play sideline-to-sideline against the run, the athleticism to function effectively in space when asked to drop into coverage, and the burst to be a formidable blitzer off the edge. [2, 4, 11]
• **High-Motor & Chase Speed:** Film and scouting reports highlight his ability to excel in pursuit, showing excellent gap-closing burst to run down plays from the backside. [4, 5] He is a strong, angular player who runs the line and makes tackles out by the numbers, showcasing impressive range. [4]
• **Tackling & Physicality:** He is a forceful, high-impact tackler who consistently gets ball carriers on the ground, including larger opponents. [4, 5] His mentality is a clear asset, as he is a physical player who embraces contact and states, "I just like to hit people." [3]

Areas to Improve

• **Read & Diagnose:** While his athleticism allows for recovery, he must continue to refine his read-and-diagnose skills to more quickly process offensive schemes at the collegiate level. [4] This will be critical for transitioning to a full-time role as an off-ball linebacker.
• **Pad Level:** As with many tall, young linebackers, maintaining consistent pad level will be a key developmental focus. Playing lower will enhance his ability to take on and shed blocks from collegiate-level offensive linemen effectively.

College Projection

Epps projects as a future starter and potential impact player within Oklahoma's defense. Given his frame and diverse skill set, he could initially serve in a specialized pass-rushing role (SAM or hybrid edge) on third downs as he adds mass and refines his instincts. His ceiling is a three-down starting linebacker who can be moved around the formation to create mismatches and dictate defensive alignments.

NFL Outlook

As a highly-rated four-star prospect with elite physical traits (height, length, athleticism) for the linebacker position, Epps possesses significant NFL Draft upside. His developmental path could lead him to be a full-time edge rusher or a modern, versatile off-ball linebacker. If he continues to develop his instincts and adds strength, he projects as a player who will be on the NFL's radar and has the potential to become a Day 1 or Day 2 draft selection.

Best Fit

Epps is an ideal fit for a modern, multiple-front defensive scheme like the one Brent Venables employs at Oklahoma, which values versatility and the ability to rush the passer from the linebacker position. [15, 16] A system that allows him to play both on the line of scrimmage as a pass-rushing threat and off the ball in space will maximize his unique blend of size and athleticism.