Washington (DC) Gonzaga offensive tackle Evan Link committed to Michigan on Monday afternoon. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Maryland, Miami, Penn State, and Stanford, among others.
Link is listed at 6’6″ and 290 pounds.
RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 80 grade, #33 OT
On3: 4-star, 93 grade, #11 OT, #125 overall
Rivals: 3-star, 5.7 grade, #50 OT
247 Sports: 3-star, 88 grade, #43 OT
Hit the jump for more on Link’s commitment.
Link is a high academic prospect who was offered by the Wolverines over a year ago. His recruitment to Michigan seemed to be hot and cold over that stretch. He was slated to take an official visit to Michigan back in June, but that visit had to be canceled. He then made an unofficial visit to Ann Arbor for the BBQ at the Big House (LINK) and committed the next day.
Link is a big body with a solid frame. He’s rather lean, which I like because those guys seem to be able to put on good weight within a year or two, whereas it seems to take longer to reshape players with bad weight to begin. He has good basic technique. I like his initial kick set, and he does a good job in pass protection of keeping defenders out of his body. He uses his body position well to cut off players and work his butt to the playside, and he does a nice job of walling off second level defenders when climbing.
On the negative side, Link is very robotic. His first kick step is good, but after that he can get lost and does not have quick enough to catch up to defenders who elude him. He performs his initial assignment, but he does not react well to counter moves or defenders’ redirection. I like film of high school linemen to include pancakes or finishes downfield, and there’s not much of that on Link’s film. He tends to stop his feet and does not move well laterally once defenders react to where the ball is going. If Link were a musician, he would be good at playing chords but not so good at improvisational jazz.
Overall, Link has some decent skills and technique, but his upside is limited because of diffidence and a lack of standout athleticism. He reminds me of a lot of prototypical Northwestern Wildcat linemen, who are . . . you know . . . okay. If I had to name a Michigan lineman for a comp, I might go with someone like Nolan Ulizio, who started for a little bit before finishing his career at Pitt.
Michigan now had 13 commitments in the 2023 class, including interior lineman Amir Herring. Link would be the first player from Gonzaga to sign with Michigan.
TTB Rating: 72
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