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| Chicago (IL) Hales Franciscan offensive tackle Denzel Ward |
If you want the bare bones of Chicago (IL) Hales Franciscan offensive tackle Denzel Ward’s October commitment to Michigan, you can check out his commitment post. At that time he hadn’t released any film to evaluate, so I couldn’t really say much about him. But now he has released his junior highlights, so let’s get down to business with this film.
Strengths: Huge body, listed at 6’9″, 295 lbs. . . . Long arms should aid in keeping defenders out of his body . . . Instinctively active feet . . . Moves feet beyond initial contact . . . Impressive knee bend for his height . . . Uses hands fairly well for such an inexperienced player . . . Very athletic . . . Runs well downfield . . . Should be effective on perimeter and at second level . . . Good attitude on finishing drive blocks
Weaknesses: Sometimes takes a false initial step before engaging defender . . . Occasionally overstrides when drive blocking . . . Can get off balance in pass protection, though long arms negate this issue slightly . . . Shows occasional tendency to be a waist bender . . . Leans a little too much in pass protection and can get feet crossed up . . . Needs to stick with pass blocks a little longer and play to the whistle
Projection: Left offensive tackle. Ward is a prototypical left tackle, but his footwork leaves a little to be desired. He has the athleticism to be great but is inconsistent with his technique. That’s understandable because he didn’t start playing organized football until his junior year. The potential is there, but it will take some refinement of his technique and some good coaching to help him reach his potential. I could see him developing into an All-American, but the biggest question is: Will he work at it? Some guys who start playing football late in high school don’t necessarily show the long-term commitment to the sport. Obviously, nobody knows how much he loves the sport except him, but he could be a premier left tackle if he stays committed to his craft.
Reminds me of: Andrus Peat (freshman offensive tackle at Stanford)
TTB Rating: 86 (rating system)
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where do you view him in regards to Michigan's other left tackle possibilites? It seems like his height gives him less positional flexibilty then say, Magnuson
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I think he and Logan Tuley-Tillman are pretty equal. Magnuson seems more like a RT to me, although he's the best future LT on the current roster. Tuley-Tillman has improved quite a bit since his junior year, so while I think Ward has him beaten in the athleticism department, we'll have to see how much Ward's technique improves. They're neck-and-neck, though.
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I respectfully disagree. I loved Magnuson's tape, he looks like he has all the tools needed to play left tackle for us. I wish he didn't HAVE to do it his rs freshman year, but it looks like that's going to be the case.
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From what I've heard, there's a good chance that Schofield moves to LT if Lewan leaves.
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That's pretty impressive film for a kid who just started playing. I hope he's through growing. I wouldn't want a 7'0 ft left tackle….but Beilein might be interested in that case.
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Impressive for a first year football player. Love the mix of mean, highly ranked offensive linemen with technique (Kalis, Kugler, etc.) and huge, athletic projects (LTT, Ward).
Really looking forward to seeing the future on oline.
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His balance does look a little 'poopy' at times, but this kid is so athletic it doesn't matter. He'll be engaged in a block, look like he's falling over, but continue blocking even driving the defender back. I can't wait until he actually receives some coaching, he's going to be a very good tackle.
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Sounds VERY promising. Thanks for posting.
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If he goes against a premiere defensive lineman he will get exposed…. He hasn't played any there fore he looks Good
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Yeah, probably…but you could say that about just about any kid who's in his first year of playing football.
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