2019 Season Countdown: #74 Mike Morris
Name: Mike Morris
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 258 lbs.
High school: Belle Glade (FL) American Heritage
Position: Defensive end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Morris was a senior in high school (LINK). He had 89 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 blocked punt that he returned for a touchdown.
TTB Rating: 81
Morris was committed to Florida State for two years before flipping to the Wolverines last September. Looking at his 2018 senior season highlights, not much has changed since my initial evaluation of him. He’s a big body with good athleticism who needs to work on some technical things, along with improving his motor (which should be helped by the fact that he won’t be playing tight end on offense).
As for the upcoming season, Morris is a bit of a wild card. He looks like a college defensive end already, but I think college offensive linemen would have their way with him. How quickly can he learn a better stance, improved hand placement, and to play with a lower pad level consistently? I think it will take at least a season, but I could see him playing in a couple games early just to get his feet wet. The Wolverines do not have established depth on the defensive line, so they may want to throw everything at the wall and see what sticks.
Prediction: Redshirt
