Scouting Profile: Andrew Mukuba - SAF - Texas
Sales Pitch: Athletic FS with tremendous ball skills. Small frame limits his run game impact but smart players with zone/man versatility and experience playing NCB are as valuable as ever.
*Gold Numbers Indicate NCAA T-25 for 2024*
Scouting Report
Andrew Mukuba is a former 4-Star recruit from the state of Texas, where he was a standout DB and WR. He began his career at Clemson, where he was an immediate contributor as a Freshman All-American, splitting his time between safety and nickel corner. Mukuba transferred to Texas in 2024 to play full time FS, and was rewarded with All-SEC honors after putting up career bests across the board.
Mukuba is an excellent athlete with quick feet and fluid hips. He is a seasoned veteran with at least 500 snaps recorded in each season across 43 total starts. Mukuba’s excellent lateral agility was on full display during his time at Clemson, where he was a plus man coverage player. While he might be listed at safety, his time with the Tigers showed he has the foot speed to match up with WRs in press and off man coverage. For Texas, Mukuba was more of a traditional deep safety. He has good spatial awareness and is quick to close on routes in front of him. His plus long speed and loose hips make it easy for him to open up and attack routes outside the numbers for two-high and single-high looks. Mukuba displays strong ball skills coming downhill or working vertically. He has the burst to drive out of his stance and disrupt the catch point with an accurate and well-timed punch. In 2024 he showed the ability to generate turnovers with a career high 5 interceptions. Mukuba will never be a big time run defender, but he shows quality run diagnose skills and isn’t afraid to run the alley and stick his nose in the play. He plays with proper angles as at tackler and is able to drag down ball carriers as a last line of defense.
Mukuba is very small for the position, his 190 pound frame is below the 10th percentile for the position and is easily thrown around. His lack of size is mostly an issue in the run game. Mukuba shouldn’t be asked to be a box defender as he lacks the play strength to take on blocks from TEs or OL. Bigger backs are also able to run through his chest for extra yards when he is the tackler in the hole. Mukuba is a solid all-around tackler, but he does need to improve his control when coming downhill. He will attack with too much speed and fail to square up ball carriers, a bad habit a player of his size, or lack thereof, cannot have. In coverage, Mukuba’s small frame only really becomes an issue against TEs. Bigger bodied pass catchers can use their size and strength to wall him off at the catch point.
Mukuba projects as a free safety who fits in either or zone or man scheme. His athleticism and ball skills are tailor made for an NFL center fielder and he brings experience as a NCB to get on the field early. Lackluster size at a devalued position isn’t great for draft stock, but his production at the highest level with his tools should make good for a Day-2 pick at worst.