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I know it’s a little bit late in the game, but back in the spring, I didn’t have time to review all the senior film for Michigan’s 2019 signees and give them updated TTB Ratings. I did that during the 2019 Season Countdown, so here are the final TTB Ratings for the class of 2019.
S Daxton Hill: 100
He’s the best safety in the class, though it’s an unimpressive safety class overall.
RB Zach Charbonnet: 83 90
As long as he can get/stay healthy, Charbonnet has the potential to be a high draft pick in the future.
DT Chris Hinton, Jr.: 90
He should be an early contributor with high long-term upside.
Hit the jump for more.
OT Trente Jones: 88
I like the way he moves. He just needs time in the weight room.
CB Jalen Perry: 88
Michigan has done a great job developing cornerbacks over the past several years.
WR Cornelius Johnson: 82 87
Johnson is an outstanding route runner with great body control.
OG/C Nolan Rumler: 87
If he’s allowed to be a powerful inside guy, then he should be okay – and he should mesh well with Ben Herbert.
OG Karsen Barnhart: 79 86
I like Barnhart’s athleticism, whether he ends up at tackle or guard.
DT Mazi Smith: 86
Smith should play early and often as a space-eater – and maybe more – up the middle.
DE David Ojabo: 77 85
Ojabo is an outstanding athlete, and that should pay off, even if it takes a few years to learn the game.
WR Mike Sainristil: 80 84
His combination of speed, quickness, and strength should bode well.
LB Anthony Solomon: 84
He moves like a safety, so he should be a good chess piece to use.
OG Zach Carpenter: 73 83
I don’t like Carpenter as much as Rumler, but there’s a prime opportunity at guard with both Ben Bredeson and Mike Onwenu graduating after this year. Hopefully that will kick-start some of these guys into preparing like starters.
CB D.J. Turner II: 79 82
I think Turner is more likely to impress early, while Perry has higher upside long-term.
LB Joey Velazquez: 82
Velazquez has an interesting future. His upside as a baseball player is significant enough that maybe this 82 rating never comes to fruition, because he might just stick with stickball.
OT Trevor Keegan: 81
I’m on the record as saying that I like athletic linemen more than guys who are just flat-out big coming out of high school. That is especially true the further you get away from center.
DT Mike Morris: 81
If Morris’s technique can catch up to his athleticism, he should be a good player down the road.
S Quinten Johnson: 79
Johnson has the upside to be a safety (or Viper) who’s just fine in Michigan’s defense.
WR Giles Jackson: 76
Jackson is a boom-or-bust guy to me. There’s no question about his speed and quickness; there are questions about his ability to catch the ball consistently.
TE Erick All: 75
Size is a question mark for All. Is he going to be a jumbo wide receiver, or will he bulk up to play an actual tight end spot?
OG Jack Stewart: 74
I actually think Stewart has much higher upside than this, but let’s be honest: not all six linemen in this class are going to have great careers at Michigan. Some will start relatively early (by 2020, probably), and others are going to have to marinate for a while.
DE Gabe Newburg: 72
Newburg is a high-motor guy who might be a while away from really contributing.
LB Charles Thomas: 69
Another boom-or-bust guy, it’s going to come down to speed for him. He can blow people up when he arrives, but can he get sideline to sideline in order to arrive?
QB Cade McNamara: 65
McNamara is a decent all-around QB, but there’s no one single trait that stands out. He’s not particularly big, fast, or strong-armed, nor is he necessarily a quick decision maker.
WR Quintel Kent: 49 59
I upgraded Kent’s TTB Rating, but his career seems to be in jeopardy due to health issues.
WR George Johnson III: 73 58
Johnson is another guy transitioning to the wide receiver position (from quarterback, mostly). I like former quarterbacks, but there’s a lot of talent to compete with for playing time.
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Off the top of my head, Mazi Smith??
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Also, I find the qualifier very weird for Daxton Hill
“He’s the best safety in the class, though it’s an unimpressive safety class overall.”
With a rating of 100, would you change this even if the safety class was crazy good?
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I mean, I just don’t think there’s much competition to be that guy. Now in 3 or 4 years, we may see a safety get drafted higher in the NFL draft or something, but from the top recruits I’ve watched, they’re just not on the same level. Maybe some “athlete” or “wide receiver” or “cornerback” moves to safety and really stands out, but the guys who are listed as safeties are just so-so.
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Overall, it seems you like this class a good amount given your ranking system. How would you compare it to the 2020 class as well as the 2018 and 2017 classes at a high-level, top-down perspective?
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https://touch-the-banner.com/final-ttb-ratings-for-2018/
https://touch-the-banner.com/final-ttb-ratings-2017/
https://touch-the-banner.com/final-ttb-ratings-2016/
Did a little light number crunching. 2019 has the highest average TTB rating at 80.42, just ahead of 2017 at 80.31.
2016 had the lowest average at 78.07, but also had the highest standard deviation, meaning that there was a huge spread between the median and top/bottom ranked players. In fact, 2016 had the lowest rated player at 44 – Nick Eubanks, for those wondering. (so you’re telling me that Magnus isn’t infallible?)
2018 had the weakest class overall, as the only class without a player in the 90s. Top-ranked player was Aidan Hutchinson at 88. He would’ve been #7 in 2016; #7 in 2017; and no better than #4 in 2019. Lowest average at 78.21 and lowest median rating at 79.
Going strictly by average rating, from top to bottom: 2019, 2017, 2016, 2018.
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Wow…that’s a lot of work. Thanks for doing that.
I whiffed on Eubanks, and some other guys over the years. Basically, I didn’t think the TE depth chart would work out like it did. As soon as Asiasi transferred after his freshman year, I figured Eubanks would “outplay” that ranking.
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Bravo!
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It’s interesting – Harbaugh’s recruiting classes have generally been ranked in a similar area to Hoke’s first couple classes,but your TTB rating tend to be higher now. Is this a function of better player development now and / or do you prefer the type of player that Harbaugh is going after?
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It’s both. There’s better player development under Harbaugh, and I prefer the players he’s pursuing. He’s also doing a better job of filling out a roster and not leaving giant holes, like at quarterback. I know people are a little concerned about defensive tackle, but I think there are guys who are going to bulk up and play there like Mike Morris, David Ojabo, etc.
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You missed the best Johnson, Cornelius.
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I love that kid!
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I never got the Charles Thomas thing. From the first time I saw his video I wondered why the coaches wanted him. I wouldn’t have offered him. To be painfully honest, I think he’s going to be a bust.
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I didn’t like his film at first, either, but I can see the draw a little bit. He’s short on athleticism, but he’s a thumper. If he can learn to diagnose plays quickly and if he ends up in the right spot on defense, I can see some upside there. Personally, I think he would have been a better fit if he played about 10-15 years ago at MIKE linebacker in a 4-3 Over defense, but now that everything’s spread out and teams are playing with more hybrid guys who can run around the field…I don’t know.
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Your comment put me in mind of Chris Spielman. He was a great LB 20 years ago. But I can’t see him fitting in now as a LB. He’d have to be a 3 Tech now, or something like that.
Maybe I’m being too hard on what I see in Charles Thomas. I have to trust the coaches at Michigan and why they wanted him.
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16 guys projected to be very good big ten starters with all conference and nfl potential? very good class but those are some lofty expectations.
hope youre right on guys like keegan, perry, velasquez, turner, etc but well see. great feature, glad you take the time
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I count at least 12 guys in the 2016 class that I would put on the same track, and that was a class of 26, too. That 2016 class had 13 players who were 4- or 5-stars, and the 2019 class has 16.
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Thanks for putting this together, I always like seeing the full class rankings. Good to see you are higher on this class than the average Michigan class, though I wonder how much has to do with the less than stellar 2018 class.
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You have a higher opinion of our incoming CBs than does the other site.
Pulling for you on this one.
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Michigan has done an excellent job of developing cornerbacks. I’m not really sure why they’re down on those guys. I get that the buzz hasn’t been there that much, but there wasn’t a ton of buzz about a lot of guys as freshmen. Lavert Hill, Ambry Thomas, David Long, Channing Stribling, Jeremy Clark, etc. didn’t have a ton of buzz early. That’s not to say that every single one will pan out, but I have confidence in the Michigan coaching staff and the talent I see in the players.
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It looks like Quintel Kent is not on the team anymore.
“#Michigan’s 2019 football roster was updated last week, and freshman WR Quintel Kent is not listed on it.”
https://twitter.com/AustinFox42/status/1162019156440604672
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Yeah, it’s too bad…but hopefully he can continue his career at some point.
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I love these reviews. It helps take another look at the some of the talents we didn’t see first time around. I looked over the guys you changed and I don’t want to brag but… I think you’re coming around Thunder (insert sarcasm).
After you do your write ups I also use your rating system to what I think they should be rated at. Here’s how we are close.
I had Charbonnet at 94. I thought your rating was way too low at 83. Now, 90 seems more fair but I think he has the best tape of any RB we’ve ever taken.
I had Corny Johnson at 90. 87 is now much closer to your original 82.
I had Sainristil at 83, you now have at 84.
Where we disagree is with Barnhart (65) and Ojabo (mid-60’s). Obviously, this was mostly done after Junior year tape but I hope all these guys overshoot their ratings. Thanks for the article and the updated reviews.
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