J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, WR, Stanford #19

6022, 225, 4.59

Notes: Born in Zaragoza, Spain. Full name is Jose Joaquin Arcega-Whiteside. His father, Joaquin Arcega, played basketball professionally overseas. His mother, Valorie Whiteside, played basketball professionally overseas and collegiately at Appalachian State. His uncles, Fernando and Jose Arcega, played basketball for Spain in the 1984 Summer Olympics. Cousin, Taylor Sowell, played football at Duke. Cousin, Gaila Proctor, played volleyball at Clemson. Lived in several countries, including Spain, Portugal and Italy before moving to South Carolina at age 6. Lettered in football, basketball and track in high school. Did not see action as a freshman in 2015. Played in 12 games and caught 24 passes for 379 yards (15.8 avg.) and 5 touchdowns in 2016. Caught 48-781-9 (16.3 avg.) in 2017. Team captain, played in 12 games and caught 63-1,059-14 (16.8 avg.) in 2018.

Positives: Nice size with long arms, excellent catch radius and strong, reliable hands. Extends for the ball and plucks it nicely. Smooth pass catcher. Very effective in the red zone. Can box out, adjust to the ball and frequently wins in competitive ball situations. Has an outstanding knack of using his body to shield defenders from the football. Smart, very crafty and instinctive with high football intelligence. Strong runner after the catch. Physical downfield blocker.

Negatives: Struggles to create separation at times. Average speed and getaway quickness. Is not a natural deep threat and seldom gets behind defenders.

Summary: Clutch, reliable, productive receiver who won’t blow the top of the defense but is open even when he’s covered and is like an elite rebounder in the red zone.