Scouting Report: Azel Banag

 

Name: Azel Banag
Position: DB (slot corner / low safety projection)
Profile: Late-blooming three-star with a multi-sport background (soccer) and a marked jump in playmaking as a senior. Originally committed to Harvard before his stock rose following a highly productive final season.

Banag is not a measurables monster or a can’t-miss blue-chip. He’s a developmental defensive back whose value comes from twitch, energy, ball skills, and steady technical growth over three varsity seasons. His tape and production point to a player who has slowly learned how to pair his natural quickness with confidence and processing, culminating in a true “senior jump.”

---

Physical / Athletic Profile

• Not an imposing frame, but compact and springy.

• Soccer background shows up in:

  • Light, efficient feet.

  • Ability to change direction without gearing down too much.

  • Good stamina and play-to-play energy.

• Young for his class, which helps explain why the physicality and confidence took steps forward each year instead of popping early.

He doesn’t look like a prototype outside corner who will overwhelm people with length or mass. Instead, his best long-term fit is in the slot or as a low safety where short-area quickness, route recognition, and willingness to tackle matter more than size.

---

Sophomore Season Snapshot – Flashes of Tools, Still Learning What He Is

(Full Season Sophomore Highlights)

As a sophomore, Banag looks more like an athlete playing defensive back than a finished product at the position.

Coverage

• Movement: The first thing that stands out is the twitch. Even early, he moves well enough to stay connected to routes and recover when slightly out of phase.

• Technique: Footwork is workable but not yet efficient. You see extra steps at the top of routes, some false steps in press or off-man, and a tendency to open his hips early rather than staying patient.

• Ball Skills: There are glimpses—he can close on throws in front of him—but he’s more of a “break up what’s thrown at me” defender at this stage than a true anticipatory playmaker.

Run Support / Tackling

• Willingness: He’s not shy about coming downhill, but you can see a lighter body and some hesitation in taking on bigger backs or linemen.

• Technique: Tackle form is inconsistent—more drag-down or ankle tackles than square, drive-through hits. He’ll get guys down, but he’s not yet a tone-setter.

Mental / Processing

• Still in the reactive phase: sees ball, goes to ball. There are occasional route jumps, but they look more instinctive than calculated.

• Angles to the ball in space can be inefficient; he’ll rely on his quickness to recover rather than taking optimal lines.

Overall Sophomore Take:
Azel’s sophomore film shows a young, energetic athlete with DB tools but no clear calling card yet. The upside is visible, but he looks more like a long-term projection than an immediate high-end prospect. For a future Harvard commit, it fits: smart, athletic, but still figuring out how to turn physical gifts into consistent production.

---

Junior Season – Volume, Physicality, and Confidence Start to Emerge

(Full Season Junior Highlights | 2024: 101 tackles, 10 PBU, 2 INT, 1 FF)

By his junior year, Banag starts to look more like a true defender and less like an athlete dabbling at DB. The stat line alone—101 tackles and 10 PBUs—suggests heavy usage and trust from the staff.

Coverage

• Footwork & Hips: Cleaner and more controlled. He’s still not elite technically, but there’s less wasted motion, especially when transitioning from pedal to break.

• Versatility: Used more frequently in different alignments—on the perimeter, over the slot, and in softer zone looks. This is where the idea of him as a hybrid corner/DB begins to make sense.

• Ball Production: 2 INT and 10 breakups isn’t eye-popping, but it shows an upward trend. He’s getting to the catch point more frequently, even if he isn’t consistently turning those chances into turnovers yet.

Run Support / Tackling

• Physicality: The jump is noticeable. Going from a sophomore to a 100-tackle junior, he becomes much more confident fitting the run and finishing plays.

• Tackle Form: Still not perfect—there are times he relies on hustle and contact more than textbook technique—but he’s more willing to meet ball carriers square and deliver a shot instead of just hanging on.

• Usage: The volume of tackles suggests he’s trusted as a run-fit player, not just a cover guy avoiding contact.

Mental / Processing

• Starts to trigger faster. On junior film, he’s more decisive jumping short routes and breaking on underneath concepts.

• Still has some “over-trigger” moments where he commits downhill and can be vulnerable behind him, but that’s normal for a young DB figuring out the balance between aggression and discipline.

Overall Junior Take:
Junior-year Banag looks like the kind of player who quietly builds a résumé—high tackle count, steady pass breakups, flashes of physicality. He’s still not a finished product, and he doesn’t pop as a sure-fire Power Four take off this film alone, but the trajectory is clearly upward. This is the version of him that makes a Harvard commitment make sense: a high-floor defender with intangibles and improving instincts, but not yet the explosive playmaker he’d become as a senior.

---

Senior Season – True Late-Bloomer Jump in Playmaking

(Regular Season Highlights | 2025: 72 tackles, 12 PBU, 5 INT, 3 FF, 3 FR, plus offensive production)

His senior film and stat line are where the “late bloomer” label really shows up. While the raw tackle number dips from his junior year, his impact per snap and high-leverage plays spike.

Coverage

• Route Recognition: This is the biggest step forward. Senior-year Azel looks less like a DB reacting to what’s in front of him and more like a defender who’s anticipating concepts:

  • More confident jumping in-breaking routes.

  • Better sense of when to undercut vs. stay on top.

  • Improved feel for route combinations in zone.

• Ball Production: 5 INT and 12 PBU plus 3 FF/3 FR in a single season is real disruption. That kind of turnover output doesn’t happen by accident.

• Slot / Low Safety Traits: The senior usage and physical style line up with what you’d want in a slot:

  • Comfortable living in traffic.

  • Plays through contact at the catch point.

  • Willing to strike, not just mirror.

Run Support / Tackling

• Controlled Aggression: The junior-year physicality remains, but he looks more under control:

  • Improved angles to the ball.

  • Better strike timing at contact.

  • Less “just throw myself in there and hope” and more targeted, square-up tackling.

• Playmaking: The spike in forced fumbles and fumble recoveries reflects a senior who’s thinking about the ball, not just the tackle.

Mental / Processing

• Senior film suggests he’s starting to see the game a step earlier:

  • Quicker route jumps without as much guesswork.

  • More efficient transitions from pedal to break, which come from trusting what he sees.

  • Better understanding of leverage and where his help is.

This is where his soccer background and being young for his grade really connect: as he matures physically and mentally, the coordination and movement he’s always had finally line up with conviction and processing.

Overall Senior Take:
Senior-year Banag looks like a legitimate Power Four defensive back candidate, not just an Ivy-caliber athlete. The jump in turnovers, the refinement in coverage, and the consistent energy level are exactly what elevate him from “smart, productive high school DB” to “late-emerging three-star with real upside.”

---

Current Strengths

• Short-Area Quickness & Twitch: Ideal for slot work and closing windows in front of him.

• Playmaking Mindset (as a Senior): 5 INT, 12 PBU, 3 FF, 3 FR show a defender who finds the ball.

• Versatility: Has reps outside, over the slot, and working downhill. Can be moved around early in his college career while staff figures out his best long-term spot.

• Effort & Energy: Multi-sport background and high-motor playstyle show up snap to snap.

• Growth Curve: Tangible improvement every year—footwork, physicality, and football IQ all trend in the right direction.

---

Areas for Improvement / Risk Factors

To keep this grounded and not oversell:

1. Size / Frame Ceiling

   • He’s not a big outside corner or a safety with prototypical mass.

   • Against bigger Power Four receivers and tight ends, he’ll need technique and leverage to win because size won’t bail him out.

2. Long-Speed / Top-End Recovery

   • While his short-area quickness is a strength, he doesn’t profile as a pure burner.

   • Likely better suited to short and intermediate coverage responsibilities than carrying verticals against true 4.3 guys without help.

3. Tackle Consistency vs. Power Four Backs

   • Improved significantly from sophomore to senior film, but translating tackling from high school to Power Four is always a question.

   • Needs continued work on strength, pad level, and finishing through contact to be more than “willing”—he has to be reliable.

4. Transition Period

   • As a late bloomer, he may need time:

     • To adjust to college speed.

     • To refine technique against better route runners.

     • To find his best home in the scheme (nickel vs. low safety vs. hybrid role).

5. Projection vs. Production

   • The senior year numbers are impressive, but they come from one high-impact season rather than three years of dominance.

   • There’s some projection involved in assuming this level of playmaking carries forward.

---

Projection

Recruiting Tier: Solid three-star, late-blooming DB
Early Role: Special teams contributor, depth in the slot / sub-packages
Best-Case Outcome:

• Multi-year contributor as a slot corner or low safety in a modern, aggressive scheme.

• Trusted in nickel packages, with the ability to generate turnovers and be a plus run-support player from inside.

Realistic Outcome:

• Rotational defensive back who carves out a role on special teams and sub packages.

• If strength and technique both take another jump, he can push into starter-level reps by Year 3.

Bust Risk:

• More tied to physical ceiling than effort or mentality.

• If the athletic traits that pop on high school film don’t scale as well vs. Power Four speed and size, he could top out as a reliable depth/special teams piece rather than a steady starter.

---

Big Picture

Azel Banag is exactly what you want a three-star late bloomer to be:

• Clearly better as a senior than as a sophomore or junior.

• Film and stats both tell the same story: more confidence, more disruption, more polish.

• He’s not a can’t-miss star, but he does look like the kind of developmental DB who can outplay his ranking if the trajectory continues.