Hezekiah Masses

● Elite ball production in 2025 (18 passes defended and five interceptions, with two more negated by penalty) ● Returns his eyes to the quarterback and quickly finds the football ● Tall, long body type and does receiver-like things at catch point ● Moves well laterally from press to cut off and frustrate releases ● Shows a natural feel for spacing in trail-man technique and zone ● Decelerates on command and stays attached on curls/comebacks ● Good enough speed to stay in position on vertical patterns ● Very quiet and introverted but gets his work done — solid feedback from Cal staff ● Stayed healthy over his career — played in all 49 games past four seasons

● Narrow shoulders, with a slender body type and marginal mass ● Needs to continue strengthening his frame ● Aggressive hands up and down the field, which will get him flagged (eight coverage penalties in 2025) ● High cut with declarative hips, which gives receivers a chance to create space out of breaks ● Feisty as a tackler but lacks power as a finisher, especially when off balance (see 2025 Oregon State tape) ● Too easily hung up on perimeter by run blockers ● Doesn’t offer much as a blitzer

A one-year starter at California (and three-and-a-half-year starter overall), Masses was an outside cornerback in former defensive coordinator Terrence Brown’s scheme, playing mostly press-bail, trail and off coverages. A low-ranked high school recruit, he built the foundation of his game over his three seasons at FIU. He transferred to Cal for his senior season and took the FBS lead in passes defended in Week 2, then didn’t surrender his crown the rest of the season. Masses has the ball production (FBS-best 18 passes defended in 2025) that gets your attention — and the tape that keeps you intrigued. He is aggressive from press, with the feet and reactive movements to mirror and match in man. He uses his peripherals to feel route combinations and keep tabs on the quarterback, although his impatience to prevent plays also leads to early contact and flags. His questionable strength will be tested early and often against NFL power. Overall, Masses is underpowered and grabby, but his sudden footwork and coverage awareness lead to plays on the football, which in turn gives him starting upside. He has surpassed expectations at every level, and it won’t be surprising if that continues. 549 Back to table of contents -- 553 of 629 --