Terrion Arnold (CB)

Measurements:

Height: 5’11 6/8”

Weight: 189 pounds

Classification: RS Sophomore

School: Alabama

Testing Numbers:

Arm: 31 5/8

Hand: 8 7/8”

40: 4.50s

Broad: 10 7”

Vert: 37”

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Prospect Background:

Terrion Arnold recently spoke about how his grandfather helped instill a level of confidence in him that has never wavered.

“My granddad was a roofer, so I like to correlate roofing with football,” Arnold said.

“My granddad always told me on that roof no one is coming to save you, so when I’m on that roof and its high-pitch walking up there, you’re slipping on the fiberglass, you kind of get a little rocky, a little shaky, you know that if you lose confidence in yourself you’re going to slip and fall. It’s the same way with cornerback.”

Another thing that Arnold was able to apply from what he learned in his days working at Arnold’s Roofing Enterprises Inc., was the ability to not skip steps. The next step is always the most important and how you choose to go about it being the difference in success and failure.

Arnold began playing Pop Warner football at a young age under Ed Hill, however it can’t go without mention that basketball was his first love. Which is important because following a start at Florida High, Arnold soon transferred to John Paul to play under the newly hired Ed Hill, the same man who coached him in his early years.

Little did he know that as he also pursed a career in basketball, he would have the opportunity to learn from former Heisman Trophy winner and Knicks point guard Charlie Ward.

“I was ready to drop football, and he’s like ‘nah, man, you can be one of the most decorated athletes in college with NIL coming,” Arnold recalled of a conversation with Ward.

“You have the opportunity to do it, you need to do it.’ So I kept going. This push ultimate led to a meeting with Nick Saban and an opportunity to do something he and Coach Hill talked about since he was seven years old,” Arnold said.

Arnold soon became an AP first team All-American and potentially the next great CB from Alabama, the thing about that is that he was initially recruited as a five star safety.

Stats:

• RS Freshman
  • Coverage Snaps: 314
  • Targets: 52
  • Receptions Allowed: 28
  • Yards Allowed: 383
  • Touchdowns Allowed: 2

• RS Sophomore
  • Cover Snaps: 471
  • Targets: 79
  • Receptions Allowed: 41
  • Yards Allowed: 441
  • Touchdowns Allowed: 2

Alignments/Number of Snaps:

• Slot
  • 2022: 11
  • 2023: 205

• Outside Corner
  • 2022: 501
  • 2023: 557

• Box
  • 2022: 34
  • 2023: 69

• Safety
  • 2022: 3
  • 2023: 4

Prospect Overview:

Terrion Arnold has the potential to be really freaking good. In order to understand how good he can truly be, you must understand where he currently is.

For starters, the kid is fairly new to the cornerback position. He was recruited as a 5-star safety initially and made the change upon his arrival in Tuscaloosa.

He took some time to learn the craft, redshirting his freshman year before bursting on the scene in 2022.

Simply put, Arnold does a lot of the nuanced things well for a defensive back — emphasis on defensive back. He’s a high IQ guy that communicates well, with an understanding of when to pass off routes and when guys are approaching in his area.

He’s currently much better when he can keep the game in front of him — he understands what he sees and does a great job of breaking on the receiver. He displays really good closing speed particularly at the catch point and does a good job of fighting through the body of receivers.

Arnold is a capable and willing tackler, who isn’t afraid to take on blocks in order to get his hands on a ball carrier. You half-ass a block on this guy, and you’ve already lost.

With his aforementioned safety background, it isn’t a surprise to see the versatility in which he has display on the Alabama defense. He’s aligned both on the outside and in the slot during his time as a member of the Crimson Tide. He’s seen success performing in press-man, off man, and zone coverage, though at this point in his development I’d prefer him in zone so he is able to understand what he’s seeing.

I’d like to see him stay more patient in phase as he has shown that he can guess wrong on routes or be fooled by different releases. Arnold can also be a bit handsy, particularly when he’s stacked or in fear of losing a rep.

Arnold possesses the athletic traits and he shows flashes you would love in a standout outside cornerback, where each rep is important as he continues to learn the cornerback position. There is a window where he becomes a legitimate number one corner in this league with Swiss-Army knife usage leading up to that point.

Cover Image Credit: Donald Page/Getty Images