Better Know A Signee: Duran “Hungry Like the Wolf” Parish

Duran “Hungry Like the Wolf” Parish

Strangely enough, WR was one of our stronger positions last year, with Shepard, Skinner, and McGowan forming a formidable SEC receiving group. Still, that trio will be a senior, junior, and sophomore, respectively in 2023, so let’s take a look at some of the young talent coming in for A.J. Swann.

Let’s start with the one who was one half of the group recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and played Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rocking Eve (even though the titular Clark has been dead for over a decade) to kick off 2023.

Position: Wide Receiver

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 175

Hometown: Biloxi, Mississippi

High School: Biloxi

247 Sports In House: 3 star (85), #217 (WR), #30 (Mississippi)

247 Sports composite: 3 star, #1135 National, #163 (WR), #23 (Mississippi)

Rivals: 3-star (5.6)

Other Power 5 offers: Mississippi State, Tulane, and South Alabama.

Though it’s unwise to conclude anything from a 90 second highlight reel, Parish looks to have the requisite speed and agility to succeed in the SEC, but will have to put in a lot of work to refine his route running. He’s very good on the bubble screen, but, you know, calling bubble screens routes are an insult to route running.

Though his current Height/Weight measurables would lead you to expect a Slim Reaper body type akin to Devonta Smith, Parish looks like he should be able to put on 20-25 lbs of good weight as he matures. Because such “Underwear Olympics” talk always makes me queasy, let’s veer away from societally acceptable eugenics and talk about some of the things I’ve noticed in that clip (again with the 90 seconds small sample size caveat firmly in place).

On the plus side, he had good burst and planted his dig foot well on the one deep post in that clip, and was fearless catching the ball in traffic. On the other routes, though? Well, it’s very common for a high school player who will go on to play in the SEC to just be way more physically talented than his opponents, hence they don’t need to work too hard just yet. That’s why you pay people like Alex Bailey to be position coaches.

Let’s just say both Parish and Bailey will have to put in a good amount of work to get the freshman SEC ready in his first year. He’s certainly got the traits to succeed if he puts in said work.

You know, if he’s hungry like the wolf.