Eamonn Dennis, Wolverine

Eamonn Dennis, Wolverine


June 25, 2019
Worcester (MA) St. John’s RB/WR Eamonn Dennis (image via Telegram)

Worcester (MA) St. John’s running back/wide receiver Eamonn Dennis publicly committed to Michigan on Monday. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Duke, Iowa, and UMass, among others.

Dennis is listed at 5’10” and 173 lbs. He claims a 4.52 forty, a 4.33 shuttle, and a 40″ vertical.

RATINGS
ESPN: 3-star, 78 grade, #44 ATH
Rivals: 3-star, 5.7 grade, #73 WR
247 Sports: 3-star, 88 grade, #41 ATH, #505 overall

Hit the jump for more on Dennis.

Michigan offered Dennis back in January when only UConn and UMass had offered, making it one of those “Is this a real offer?” situations for some skeptical Michigan fans. He picked up some Power 5 offers since then, though no other big-time Power 5 programs have offered. Michigan was his first official visit this past weekend, and that resulted in a commitment.

Dennis is one of those dastardly humans blessed with the ability to run really fast without looking like he’s putting in much effort. He glides past most of his high school opponents without breaking a sweat. He plays out wide, in the slot, and in the backfield for St. John’s. His short-area quickness is excellent, as is his acceleration, and I like his vision. At his size he’s not extremely physical, but he’s not afraid of contact, either.

Dennis does not play in an extremely complicated passing offense, and his routes are pretty simple. He catches a lot of bubbles and slants, which is great, but it suggests that he will have to spend some time learning the nuances of more complicated passing offenses and route trees when he gets into college. He also sometimes lets passes get into his body instead of catching with his hands, which can sometimes result in incompletions. And of course, there’s always the need to hit the weight room.

Overall, this is a good pickup for the Wolverines. Dennis is in the mold of a playmaker, and you can’t have too many of those in your program. Michigan now has three jitterbug types slated to be on the roster in 2020 and beyond: Dennis, Mike Sainristil, and Giles Jackson. Whether Dennis plays in the slot or the backfield (Michigan has mentioned both), he should be able to make an impact shortly after arriving on campus.

High school teammate Jay Brunelle, another wide receiver, officially visited with Dennis and could be on the verge of announcing a commitment, too. The only other player in Michigan history to have come from St. John’s was defensive back Michael Manning (1997-2001).

TTB Rating: 72 (ratings explanation)

2 comments

  1. Comments: 6285
    Joined: 8/11/2015
    Lanknows
    Jun 25, 2019 at 12:51 PM

    “His short-area quickness is excellent, as is his acceleration, and I like his vision.”

    Yes!

    Don’t forget about Ronnie Bell, George Johnson and Quintell Kent. Michigan is loading up on WR talent with an emphasis on burst over bulk. Some of them will end up elsewhere (school or position), but Gattis is attacking play-maker acquisition with enthusiasm unknown. I find it encouraging.

    The evolution continues.

  2. Comments: 295
    Joined: 12/19/2015
    Extrajuice
    Jun 27, 2019 at 11:46 AM

    I preferred Jabari Small (I like Small as much as I like Corum) but I guess I’ll settle for Dennis. Can we call him Eamon Dennis Norfleet because that’s what I think he’ll probably be. Returner, specialty play-type kid. Probably plays limited snaps in the game but could also change the game quickly. UM typically lacks playmakers so that’s why he fits in with Gattis. I like his vision too and I think he’s a tough kid. I think his offer sheet is poor because he’s a 1-trick pony. I can’t see him playing RB, too slight and doesn’t have a great frame to add a bunch of weight. Could get him a few carries a game. I see him in the slot mostly, getting shuttle passes and some crossing routes. I agree with the 72 rating. I don’t see him making much of an impact next year but will get plenty of opportunities after that.

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