Hezekiah Masses, CB
School: California | Conference: ACC
College Experience: Senior | Age: ?
Height / Weight: 6’1” / 179 lbs
Projected Draft Status: 4th-5th Round
Player Comparison: Cor’Dale Flott
College Statistics
| Tackles | Def Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Solo | Ast | Comb | TFL | Sk | Int | Yds | Avg | IntTD | PD | FR | Yds | FRTD | FF | Awards |
| 2022 | Florida International | CUSA | FR | DB | 12 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2023 | Florida International | CUSA | SO | DB | 12 | 37 | 5 | 42 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 40 | 40.0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024 | Florida International | CUSA | JR | DB | 12 | 24 | 14 | 38 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 42 | 42.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2025* | California | ACC | SR | DB | 13 | 30 | 17 | 47 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 91 | 18.2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Career | 49 | 104 | 48 | 152 | 5.5 | 0.0 | 7 | 173 | 24.7 | 1 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||||
| California (1 Yr) | 13 | 30 | 17 | 47 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 91 | 18.2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Florida International (3 Yrs) | 36 | 74 | 31 | 105 | 4.5 | 0.0 | 2 | 82 | 41.0 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||||
Player Overview
How did Hezekiah Masses from Deerfield Beach, Florida, end up as a standout cornerback all the way across the country? Despite a productive final year of high school, Masses was lightly recruited as a two-star recruit. He stayed in-state to play at Florida International over New Hampshire and Western Carolina.
Masses played in every game for the Panthers as a freshman, starting six of those contests. He returned as an established starter in his sophomore year and generated his first turnover, a pick-six. His junior season was similarly productive, so much so that Masses entered the transfer portal.
The California Golden Bears have been producing NFL-caliber secondary prospects for years. With Nohl Williams being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs, California looked to the transfer portal for a replacement. Masses agreed to trade the Sunshine State for the Golden State. It was a great decision as Masses had his most productive season. His five interceptions and 13 pass breakups resulted in him being tied for the most passes defended in the nation. His play earned him Second Team All-American honors from numerous publications.
Strengths
- Footwork and technique allows him to match receivers off the LOS
- Sticky in man coverage despite a little hip tightness
- Excellent eyes and understanding of route combos in zone coverage
- Closes quickly in off coverage
- Effectively uses length at the catch point
- Great ball production in his final year
Weaknesses
- Slimmer CB whose play strength will be tested by NFL receivers
- Lack of play strength results in holds, leading to penalties
- Needs to get stronger to be disruptive in press man coverage
- Needs to get his head around when covering deep in man coverage
- Lacks stopping power in run support.
Let’s See His Work
(via nfl.com/iq)
How He Fits on the Commanders
Even after adding Amik Robertson and Ahkello Witherspoon in free agency to join Trey Amos and Mike Sainristil at the position, cornerback remains a need for the Commanders. While the aforementioned players should make for an improved position group, the team could really use a starter on the outside opposite Trey Amos to make the group formidable. If the team cannot do this with their first-round pick, they may need to look for a prospect with traits that can be honed into a starter with time.
Adam Peters might look at Hezekiah Masses’ RAS and take him off his board. Sure, the athletic testing – honestly, just the jumps – are bad. He is also underweight for the position which limits his strength and physicality. However, when you look at his technique and his intelligence, Masses definitely looks like an NFL cornerback. He should definitely be able to contribute as an outside rotational cornerback in a defense that uses a lot of off-man or zone coverage. In these schemes, there is a path for him to become a starter if he builds off his last season of college, continues to develop by refining his technique, and adds functional strength. He may not become an All-Pro or Pro Bowler, but Masses could become a competent starter in the league.
