Mac McWilliams was one of the UCF defense’s leaders since his transfer from UAB, but how does his full NFL scouting report look?
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Overview, Film Analysis, And 2025 Scouting Report Of UCF DB Mac McWilliams
Measurables:
5’10”
191 lbs
Player Background:
A Pensacola, Florida native, Mac McWilliams graduated from Pine Forest High School in the class of 2020. He committed to UAB as a two-star recruit, finishing high school among the Top-300 cornerback prospects and within the Top-400 recruits in Florida. He appeared in four games during his freshman season with the Blazers, recording six total tackles in very limited time. His second season was much better, starting six of his eight games and recording 24 tackles, three tackles-for-loss, and four pass breakups.
An injury cut his 2022 campaign short after seven games, in which he accumulated 19 tackles, 10 pass breakups, and one interception, which he returned 78 yards for a touchdown. His last season at UAB came in 2023, starting all 12 games and making 52 tackles with nine breakups, two TFLs, one FF, and one fumble recovery. He transferred to UCF that offseason, and in his lone season, he made 11 starts, 32 tackles, a sack, a FF, an interception, and two PBUs.
Accolades:
Conference USA All-Freshman Team (2021)
Senior Bowl Invitee (2024)
Strengths/Pros:
McWilliams’ versatility and experience in both cornerback and safety alignments will give teams an immediate reason to look his way. His hands are strong and aggressive in press-man coverage, locking out well and legally containing receivers with force. His physicality is impressive for a corner of his size, successfully driving through receivers and working them out of plays. He closes his hips out to the sideline when covering boundary routes and takes away a ton of space.
His feet are soft when closing out underneath routes when his base stays centered, working back to underneath zones from initial man coverage sells. McWilliams stays savvy when tracking comeback routes in off-man coverage, shifting closer to the WR without sacrificing momentum. He accelerates downfield well and transitions into a full sprint quickly, and his feet are sharp in close-quarters coverage against longer releases. He’s a patient off-man defender entirely, staying low in his base and letting plays develop before crashing.
Weaknesses/Cons:
McWilliams is undersized both with his height and his size, giving him some issues with his physicality and ability to naturally cover ground. He lets himself lean forward too much in tighter coverage and can get blown by against more explosive wideouts. His upper half drifts too far backward in all stages, impacting his balance. His backpedal is too short and choppy, getting him into bad positions when he has to cut back to the line of scrimmage.
He gets laterally stiff when covering zones near multiple wideouts and tends to get stuck in the middle. He struggles breaking down at times after straight-lining and will be either thrown past on comebacks or forced to get too physical. McWilliams tends to get a bit grabby on deeper passes, especially toward the sideline. His arms lock out too early in plays and occasionally lose contact entirely with the WR.
Potential Team Fits:
NFL Projection:
McWilliams is more of a rotational/depth prospect than a likely future starter, but there’s much he can offer NFL defenses. His prowess in man coverage on an island and versatility could get him onto the field early and often in his career. He’s not complete enough of a player to become a long-term starter, but he could become a reliable piece to a contending team’s secondary and provide valuable snaps for teams needing extra depth in the secondary.
Prospect Grade:
Mid to Late 5th Round
Film Exposures:
2024 vs. Iowa State
2024 vs. Colorado
2024 vs. West Virginia
Main Photo: [Vasha Hunt] – USA Today Sports