WATCH: Rodrick Pleasant snags pick-six on first play of the season
Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra four-star athlete Rodrick Pleasant couldn’t have asked for a better start to the 2022 season.
On the first play from scrimmage of Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra’s season, Pleasant intercepted a pass from the Orange (Calif.) Orange Lutheran quarterback TJ Lateef and took it 25 yards to the house.
However, Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra would lose the game. Orange (Calif.) Orange Lutheran scored with 36 seconds left to complete a 17-point comeback and win 27-26.
Pleasant is the No. 94 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Pleasant previously named his top schools as Boston College, California, Penn State, Oregon, UCLA and USC.
The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine names the Trojans as the favorite for Pleasant with a 82.0% likelihood of securing the commitment.
RPM was released to the public in December. The On3 engineering group teamed up with Spiny.ai to create the industry’s first algorithm and machine learning-based product to predict where athletes will attend college.
It factors in machine learning, social sentiment, visits and historical trends. However, expert predictions are still a big piece of the RPM equation.
Pleasant currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $131k. The On3 NIL Valuation is an index that looks to set the standard market value for both high school and college-level athletes. The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.
Rodrick Pleasant Scouting Summary
Versatile speedster who has a claim as the fastest prospect in the 2023 cycle. Set the California state record with a historic 10.14 second mark in the 100 meters in the state finals as a junior. Also ran an outstanding 20.40 second time in the 200 meters. One of the fastest prep sprinters in the nation. Has a smaller frame at 5-foot-10 and around 170 pounds. Plays all over the field at Gardena Serra, but most likely projects as a cornerback long-term. Has the speed to stick in the hip pocket of wide receivers on Friday nights. Also shows excellent makeup speed when out of phase in the camp setting. A willing tackler as a run defender. A threat to score anytime the ball is in his hands as a receiver or kick returner. Lacks some length for the position with a neutral wing-span and will need to show he can make plays on the ball in contested situations.