I feel bad for Croom. He was having a breakout game which is a HUGE confidence-builder for a young WR only to get hurt during it. But seeing him refuse to let that ball loose from his grip knowing how bad a broken collarbone is and how bad it must've hurt was epic. And before anyone downplays that by saying you can't move your arms when your collarbone breaks... while that's true it's not like you physically lose the ability to grip the ball. Croom chose to hang onto that ball as though it was the most important thing in the world for him.
THAT is worth taking note of. He's far from 'soft' though he still has to learn to use his body.
However, keep in mind most young males don't get their growth spurt until HS and some don't really hit a spurt until college and Croom got his in middle school. A lot of those who do hit it early have a tendency to be embarrassed/shy or even a bit awkward about their height when it they grow that early. Tall guys and gals also get picked on when they grow tall so far ahead of others and to make matters worse, early growth spurts can make players less coordinated that they will be when they grow into their bodies or would be if they hit that same spurt in HS.
Croom, like my own brother,
hit his growth spurt young although my bro was slightly taller earlier, reaching 6'4 in middle school. Now at 6'6' he's a good inch taller than Croom yet to this day my brother is self-conscious because his height came early and he has to stoop just to pass through doorways. And when you're a foot or more taller than your friends for years, it's not easy and often leaves a mark - you don't use your frame to your advantage the way guys who grow at a more normal speed do as it's an early natural advantage rather than a learned or coached advantage.
Personally, I have no doubt that Croom is still learning to use it height in football and since he's now surrounded by tall guys and being coached to do so he will get better at that. He won't play like he's 5'9' for much longer. And having speed to spare, he'll be a force to reckon with if he keeps up the progress.
We're fortunate to be stacked at WR with North, Malone, Pearson and Croom among others.
But people meed to give Croom his due, he showed potential greatness at the UK game and that wasn't due to UK's defense but rather due to him upping his game. He's come a long in a very short time way without a lot of experience behind him even though his stats this year haven't reflected that upward trajectory/progress.