From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on California CB Hezekiah Masses.
No. 5 HEZEKIAH MASSES/CB California – 6005, 179 POUNDS (SENIOR)
MEASUREMENTS:
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Hezekiah Masses 6005/179 8 1/4 31 1/8 76 3/4
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
4.46 1.57 4.51 7.31
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
10’1″ 31.5 N/A
THE GOOD
– Good height and wingspan for an outside cornerback
– Very comfortable in press-man and mirror-match situations
– Stays in phase with releases and can carry guys vertically well
– Uses his length to crowd catch windows late
– Plays with a nice trail technique to show his hands at the last second
– Relies more on anticipation than pure recovery speed
– High-level QB vision and route anticipation
– Has never met a route he doesn’t think he can jump or undercut for a breakup or INT
– Understands spacing and leverage in zone concepts
– Times his arrival at the catch point exceptionally well
– Attacks receivers through their hands and not just their body
– High-points effectively despite a lean frame and subpar leaping ability
– Special teams experience on a variety of units
THE BAD
– Lean frame and lack of play strength
– Long-strider buildup to deep speed
– Not twitchy or explosive in short areas
– Slight hip tightness on sharp breaks
– Disruptive at the line of scrimmage, but his punch lacks pop
– He can be really grabby with receivers (8 penalties this year)
– Wants to play physical, but lacks the strength to dominate guys
– Wins more with positioning than force
– Effort is inconsistent in run support and tackling
– Lean frame shows up in block engagement, where he can get tossed or stuck on guys
– Missed tackles and poor angles in space lead to “business decision” tendencies at times
– Has a true gambler’s mentality where he will make a lot of big plays, but gives up a lot too, with his risk/reward style of play
STATS
– 37 career starts and played in a total of 49 games between 1 year at California and 3 years at Florida International University
– Career: 2,830 total snaps (2,531 boundary CB, 29 slot CB, 252 SS, 10 FS)
– 407 special teams snaps (203 FG block, 100 Kick coverage, 60 Punt coverage, 43 Punt return, 1 Kick return)
– 51.0 percent completion rate against, 152 total tackles (104 solo), 5.5 TFL, 0 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, 25 PBUs, 7 INTs (1 returned for TD), 12 TDs allowed, 75.9 passer rating allowed, 18 penalties, 24 missed tackles
– 2025: Started in all 13 games
– 49.2 percent completion rate against, 47 total tackles (30 solo), 1 TFL, 0 forced fumbles, 13 PBUs, 5 INTs, 4 TDs allowed, 59.0 passer rating allowed, 8 penalties, 9 missed tackles
– 81.2 coverage grade per PFF
– 58.4 man coverage grade (110.6 passer rating) and 90.0 zone coverage grade (42.8 passer rating)
– 104.2 slot coverage NFL rating per PFF
– 63.6 run defense grade per PFF
INJURY HISTORY
– No known injury history
BACKGROUND
– Went to Deerfield Beach H.S. in Deerfield Beach, Fla.
– 2026 Senior Bowl participant
– 2025 AP 2nd Team All-America, 1st Team All-ACC
– He transferred from FIU to California for the 2025 season
– 2022 Conference USA All-Freshman Team and Freshman All-American (CFN)
– Enrolled early in February 2022 at FIU
– Two-Star recruit out of H.S. according to 247Sports
– Played running back at age 5 up to high school, then he transferred to wide receiver until he was a junior, where he switched to playing cornerback
– Only played one year of cornerback in H.S. due to his junior year being cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic
– Described as a quiet worker who “lets his game do all the talking,” focusing on technique and intense study of his position
– Goes by the nickname Zeke
– Very close relationship with his older brother, Clinton
– American studies major at UC Berkeley, and majored in communications before transferring to Strawberry Canyon
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Hezekiah Masses was one of the most productive cornerbacks in the country this past season at California University. He created a ton of splash plays with his breakups and interceptions. He is a true playmaker who uses his length and instincts to thrive when he can keep his eyes on the quarterback, anticipate throws, and attack the football.
He has legitimate starting upside and the potential to swing games with turnovers; however, he comes with clear limitations. He lacks ideal play strength, shows inconsistent tackling and run support, and displays tightness when flipping his hips in transitions, which can be exposed against sharp route runners or physical wideouts.
He has great anticipatory skills, being able to jump or undercut throws. Masses will read a quarterback’s eyes and recognize routes well. When he does make a decision, he does it with decisiveness, and it’s why he has so many interceptions and breakups. It’s what makes him such an attractive fit in zone-match coverage for teams.
pic.twitter.com/ICvOZS5KGX
— Happy Days (@Jh86Guy) April 1, 2026
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— Happy Days (@Jh86Guy) April 1, 2026
Masses plays posts and fade routes really well because he can stay in phase vertically with most guys and has great timing to disrupt the receiver at the catch point.
pic.twitter.com/fPZugMsS3i
— Happy Days (@Jh86Guy) April 1, 2026
Here you can see the lack of recovery speed against bigger, faster receivers like Josh Cameron out of Baylor, who could present problems for Masses in the NFL. He’ll have to continue working on making his punch and hands stronger to ensure guys can’t beat him in press/man coverage.
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— Happy Days (@Jh86Guy) April 1, 2026
As a tackler, he shows really inconsistent effort in coming downhill to meet guys, but doesn’t completely shy away from it. He tends to go for guys’ ankles a lot and needs to do a better job of wrapping them up. His lack of mass, especially in his lower half, and his lack of strength really make it difficult for him to tackle bigger running backs. There are times when guys get away from him if he can’t “rodeo rope” them beneath the waist.
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— Happy Days (@Jh86Guy) April 1, 2026
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— Happy Days (@Jh86Guy) April 1, 2026
CONCLUSION
Hezekiah Masses is a scheme-dependent CB2/CB3 with starter upside, best suited for zone-heavy systems (Cover 3/Quarters) that emphasize turnovers. If he develops more physicality and discipline, he can become a high-impact, takeaway corner. If not, he risks being a streaky, rotational corner whose role fluctuates frequently.
Patrick Graham’s defenses typically value takeaways over pure shutdown ability, and Masses fits that philosophy extremely well. His best traits (ball skills and route anticipation) allow him to play in off-man coverage, deep third in a Cover 3, and as an outside corner in quarters coverage.
The biggest issues are his ability to stay on the field in run-support situations and how he would match up against bigger, stronger receivers. Pittsburgh also mixes in plenty of press/man looks, and he can survive there, but that’s not where you want him to live.
Even though Masses is leaner than these NFL players, there are a ton of similarities to Trevon Diggs and Ahkello Witherspoon. Good-elite ball production, guys who play the ball more than the receiver, and thrive in off-zone coverage. Both give up separation but compensate with turnovers, using their length and timing at the catch point to make plays.
NFL Projection: Late Day 2 – Early Day 3
Steelers Depot Draft Grade: 7.5 (Rotational Player)
Grade Range: 7.1 – 8.0
Games Watched: at Oregon State (2025), vs Duke (2025), at Indiana (2024), vs Louisiana Tech (2024)
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