maybe the coaches do in scouting and that's why they offered him such large NIL compensation. Highlight reels aren't usually going to celebrate a lot of the gritty plays.
Demin is taller than JR, but there are plenty of tall players who are pretty soft too.
JR was certainly trying and expending effort, he just didn't seem to have a knack for gritty plays. He needed a mindset adjustment there.