Scouting Report: Audric Estime (RB) - Notre Dame
Sales Pitch: "Downhill bruiser who with strength, contact balance and surprising agility for a man of his size. Lacks the change of direction skills and creativity to be game changer but brings toughness and power to a run game."
Athletic Profile
Height: 5’ 11 3/8”
Weight: 221 lbs
Arm Length: 32 3/8”
Hand Size: 10 1/4”
40 Yard Dash: 4.71
10 Yard Split: 1.69
Vertical: 38”
Broad Jump: 10’ 5”
Short Shuttle: N/A
3-Cone: N/A
Age: 20
Relative Athletic Score: 6.58 / 10.00
Statistics
Career: 373 ATT - 2,321 YDS - 6.2 YPC - 26 TD
2023: 210 ATT - 1,341 YDS - 6.4 YPC - 18 TD
Strengths
Big powerful frame
Aggressive downhill running style
Patient runner who lets blocks develop
Impressive ability to find narrow lanes for a player of his size
Agility to make LBs miss at the 2nd level
Leg drive to push piles
Forward lean to fall for extra yards at the end of runs
High level contact balance in the hole
Soft dependable hands out of the backfield
Brings effort and aggression as a pass protector
Efficient gap scheme runner
Weaknesses
Big back who struggles to quickly change directions
Lacks long speed to pull away in open field
Does not display creativity as a runner
Limited burst to take the edge as a runner
Needs a runway to get his momentum going
High pad level can be an issue around the goal line
Route tree is limited
Pass pro technique is inconsistent
Limited outside zone experience and production
Summary
Audric Estime is a big powerful back with surprising agility for a player of his size. The former 4-Star from New Jersey led the Fighting Irish in rushing yards in back to back seasons, receiving 2nd Team All-American honors in 2023. Estime is a massive runner who is at his best in between the tackles on gap scheme runs. He has a no-nonsense downhill running style that takes advantage of his excellent contact balance and leg drive. He has tremendous balance and upper body strength to run through tackles in the hole and second level. Estime has good forward lean and leg drive that allows him to push piles and finish runs falling forward. He does a good job finding lanes between the tackles for a player of his size. He is a patient runner who allows his blocks to set up before attacking the hole. Estime is a good athlete for his size showing surprising agility to make defenders miss at the second level. He lacks the long speed - his 4.71 40 time was 10th percentile - to pull away in the open field but has solid burst when he gets his shoulders square and downhill. His quickness is deceptive and secondary players that take poor angles will get burned. Notre Dame primarily used Estime as a gap scheme runner as it better suited his play style. He lacks the change of direction skills to quickly get upfield after going horizontal on outside zone. Defenders that can get to him early in runs have an easy time chopping him down. He lacks creativity as a runner to find cutback lanes and lacks the speed to take the edge. Estime was a functional third down back in college. He has soft hands that rarely put the ball on the ground and shows effort as a pass protector. However, he lacks the quickness to be an impactful receiver, his route tree limited to screens and checkdowns. He does have the size and strength to be a plus pass protector but will need to improve his technique and identification skills. Estime projects as an early down power back in an under-center gap scheme. He won’t fit every teams offense due to his lack of speed and route running ability but he should find a quality role as primary ball carrier in a run first offense.