Arizona football signee analysis: 3-star wide receiver Malachi Riley

The Early Signing Period is here at last! AZ Desert Swarm has you covered and will be bringing you analysis of the signees throughout the rest of the week.

Let’s take a closer look at 3-star wide receiver signee Malachi Riley.

Riley is a very dangerous weapon that has been added to an increasingly dangerous offense.

For starters, Riley has very nice size at 6-foot-2 and around 180 pounds. He can play inside in the slot or outside, which is where he played for the Huskies.

His route-running is crisp and very good for someone coming out of high school. Marry that with his explosiveness and quickness off the line and you have someone who can blow the top off the defense. And that is evidenced by flipping on the film and watching Riley blow past his defender or just simply running a good route and creating separation.

Making plays after gaining that separation is not a problem for Riley either. He has fantastic hands. On more than you occasion he can be seen catching the ball away from his body and holding onto it after taking a solid hit. Riley also showcases very good concentration to make contested catches against good coverage and even move his body the correct way to make the catch.

His best attribute, by far, is his playmaking ability after he has the ball in his hands. To be frank....he’s an absolute freak. He is very good at making would-be tacklers miss and picking up large chunks of yardage.

Riley finished second in catches, first in touchdowns, and tied second in receiving yards for Centennial. In all, he has a very good mix of speed, explosiveness, and playmaking ability, making him a valuable weapon for Jayden de Laura and the UA offense.