Brugler's Scouting Report. #18 Safety
18. RICHARD LECOUNTE | Georgia 5104 | 196 lbs. | SR. Riceboro, Ga. (Liberty County) 9/11/1998 (age 22.63) #2
BACKGROUND: Richard LeCounte III (luh-COUNT), the youngest of six children, was born and raised in the small town of Riceboro, Ga. (population under 800; 50 miles south of Savannah). He attended Liberty County High School (the same school as LB Raekwon McMillan, who was his mentor) and was a three-sport letterman in basketball, football and track. A do-everything performer, LeCounte starred on both sides of the ball and posted 100 tackles and two interceptions as a junior safety, adding 17 total touchdowns on offense. As a senior, he recorded 100 tackles, two forced fumbles and two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) with 39 catches for 800 yards and 20 total touchdowns as a receiver and quarterback. LeCounte earned First Team All-State honors in 2016 and finished his prep career with 399 tackles, 13 interceptions and 39 total touchdowns (23 receiving, 10 passing, three rushing and three on defense). In basketball, he led Liberty County to a 28- 1 record and the Class AAAA state championship as a junior, earning All-Region Player of the Year honors with 20.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. In track, LeCounte set a personal-best in the high jump of 6’4”.
A five-star recruit out of high school, LeCounte was the No. 2 safety in the 2017 class (behind JaCoby Stevens), the No. 3 recruit in the state of Georgia (behind QB Davis Mills and DT Aubrey Solomon) and the No. 25 recruit nationally. He collected several offers from powerhouse programs like Alabama, Clemson, Michigan and others. But he narrowed down his choice to Georgia and Ohio State, picking his home-state Bulldogs and becoming the first official commit of the Kirby Smart era. LeCounte accepted his invitation to the 2021 Senior Bowl.
YEAR (GP/GS) TKLS TFL SACK FF PD INT NOTES
2017: (10/1) 15 0.0 0.0 0 0 0
2018: (14/13) 74 1.0 0.0 2 4 1 Led team in tackles
2019: (14/14) 61 4.5 0.0 2 7 4 Led team in INTs
2020: (6/5) 26 1.0 0.0 0 7 3 Team captain; Missed most of the final five games due to non-football injuries
Total: (44/33) 176 6.5 0.0 4 18 8
HT WT ARM HAND WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP
5104 196 31 5/8 9 77 1/2 4.76 2.81 1.69 32 1/2 10’8” 4.49 7.44 - (no bench press – left shoulder soreness)
STRENGTHS: Field-fast and covers a lot of ground…nimble-footed with the athleticism to carry crossers or ride patterns from the slot…galloping strides in pursuit to make plays at either sideline, beating his teammates to the ball carrier…decisive trigger to see it and go, jumping routes and finding the pass lane…mean-spirited tackler, competing with the aggressive nature required for the position…offensive background shows at the catch point, taking advantage of mistakes by the quarterback (eight interceptions the last three seasons, averaging 17.9 yards per return)…charismatic leader and very well liked in the Georgia locker room…productive three-year starter (33 starts).
WEAKNESSES: Disappointing testing times at his pro day…flies around the field, but often out of control, leading to missed tackles…overaggressive, often to the point of taking himself out of position…inconsistent tackling technique from play to play, hugging or attacking too high…eyes will get stuck in the backfield, allowing receivers to get behind him…handsy in man coverage, tugging jersey to hop a ride…lacks ideal bulk and size for the position, which leads to durability concerns…missed the second half of the 2020 season due to injuries (concussion, shoulder sprain, bruised ribs) following a traffic accident when his dirt bike was struck by a vehicle, leaving him unconscious. [255]
SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Georgia, LeCounte lined up at strong safety in Kirby Smart’s 3-3-5 base scheme, playing mostly to the field side. He was one of three five-star recruits from the Bulldogs’ 2017 class and quickly established himself as one of the team’s locker-room leaders and standout defenders. LeCounte plays with outstanding pursuit range and decisiveness, competing with the fearless mentality required. However, there is a fine line between aggressive and undisciplined, and he spends time on both sides, leading to feast or famine plays. Overall, LeCounte competes with outstanding play speed and energy, but you have to live with the inconsistencies. His tape gives off vibes of an undersized version of Marquise Blair.
GRADE: 6th Round
