Review of 2013 TTB Ratings

Tag: 2013 recruiting


29Jul 2020
Blog, homepage 17 comments

Review of 2013 TTB Ratings

Ben Gedeon (image via MGoBlue)

I’ll just cut right to the chase and say that I did not do a good job with rating the class of 2013. A bunch of good recruits bombed, and in their absence, a bunch of so-so recruits starred. In some ways, it’s not that I whiffed on everyone. It’s that it was a huge boom-or-bust class.

Keep in mind that the ratings (fully explained here) are intended to project how players will fare at Michigan and, to a certain extent, in the NFL Draft. I do not take into account how players will do once they get to the NFL or how they will pan out if they transfer to other programs. I will give myself a grade of 1-5 like a 5-point grading scale (5 is best, 1 is worst) for each player; I reserve the right to give myself an incomplete if the guy never even got a chance to get on the field. I’ll work down the list from highest to lowest with a brief career recap for each player:

100

None

90-99

95: Derrick Green – RB – Richmond (VA) Hermitage
Green ran for just 898 yards and 7 touchdowns on 4.2 yards per carry during three years at Michigan. It didn’t help that his first two years were spent behind a Darrell Funk-coached offensive line, but he fell behind De’Veon Smith, transferred to TCU, and didn’t do anything there, either.
Prediction accuracy: 1. Big oops.

Hit the jump for more ugliness.

read more
4May 2013
Uncategorized 9 comments

Poll results: Who will be the best defensive lineman in the 2013 class?

Taco Charlton (left, with Shane Morris) has Michigan fans excited

Taco Charlton: 55%
The only early enrollee of the group, defensive end Charlton was listed on the spring roster at 6’6″ and 265 lbs.  Technique was a bit of an issue in high school, but he used his hands better in the spring game and notched a couple sacks against the offense’s backups.  Not bad for a kid who should be dealing with a bout of senioritis.  The physical attributes are present; his success depends on his work ethic and attention to improving his technique.

Henry Poggi: 32%
Poggi is almost the opposite of Charlton, although he’s not a bad athlete.  Poggi plays defensive tackle and has great technique for an incoming freshman, but he’s only listed at about 6’4″ and 265 lbs.  He probably won’t ever be a mammoth defensive lineman, but he’s athletic enough and stout enough to be a productive player at Michigan.

Maurice Hurst, Jr.: 12%
Hurst is a 6’2″, 305-pounder who also played running back in high school.  The lowest rated player of the trio, he played well in the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl and showed some impressive quickness.  He could play nose tackle or 3-tech defensive tackle.

14Feb 2013
Uncategorized 23 comments

Final TTB Ratings for 2013

Maurice Hurst, Jr. made the biggest leap in
the final TTB Ratings

Here are the finalized TTB Ratings for the class of 2013.  Discuss!

Derrick Green – RB – Richmond (VA) Hermitage: 92 95
The more I think about the offensive line Michigan is building, the more I think Green is going to have a very good career in a winged helmet.  He could very well be the starter by his sophomore year, if not as a freshman.

Dymonte Thomas – S – Alliance (OH) Marlington: 92 89
I’m downgrading Thomas because I don’t know that he’s an All-American candidate, which is what a 90+ grade entails.  I think he will still be a very good player and turn into an all-conference player as a strong safety.

Kyle Bosch – OG – Wheaton (IL) St. Francis: 88
I’m going to leave Bosch right where he is.  He looks like an excellent guard prospect, and I like his nastiness.

Shane Morris – QB – Warren (MI) De La Salle: 89 87
Morris still has all the physical schools he has ever had – strong arm, decent athleticism – and has shown with his recruiting that he has some leadership skills.  It just seems like he has some limitations on seeing the whole field and making good decisions.

Patrick Kugler – C – Wexford (PA) North Allegheny: 83 86
With a couple years between Jack Miller and Kugler, the latter should have at least a couple seasons as a starter.  I liked what I saw of him at the Under Armour All-American Game.

Chris Fox – OT – Parker (CO) Ponderosa: 90 85
Fox’s ACL tear concerns me some. He’s still a big body who’s pretty athletic, but I fear that this injury might put him behind some of the other linemen to begin..

Jourdan Lewis – CB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: 86 84
Lewis isn’t the biggest, strongest, or fastest recruit out there, but he shows good change of direction and ball skills.  I like him as a college cornerback, but he might be limited beyond that.

Jake Butt – TE – Pickerington (OH) North: 82
I’m leaving Butt right where he is. He’s not a “next generation” tight end who can run really fast and jump really high, but he’s a very solid prospect.  He should have no problem turning into a good blocker at the very least.

Ben Gedeon – LB – Hudson (OH) Hudson: 82 81
I still like Gedeon, but I have slightly more confidence in Butt as a prospect.  I like turning running backs into linebackers, and he has experience at both positions.

Da’Mario Jones – WR – Westland (MI) John Glenn: 79 81
As Michigan’s passing offense improves and they can find more ways to get the ball to receivers, I like Jones’s skill set more.  He’s not an absolute blazer, but he offers a dimension of speed that some other recent receiver recruits lack.

Henry Poggi – DT – Baltimore (MI) Gilman: 81 79
Watching Poggi in the Under Armour All-American Game, I still think Poggi looks like a good prospect for the college level – he played very well – but I’m not sure he’ll have the size or explosion to be a serious NFL prospect down the road.

Maurice Hurst, Jr. – DT – Westwood (MA) Xaverian Brothers: 73 78
I always liked Hurst’s athleticism, but I like his energy, too.  After seeing his senior highlights and his performance in the Semper Fi All-American Bowl, I think he has some potential to be a pretty good player down the road.

Csont’e York – WR – Harper Woods (MI) Chandler Park Academy: 79 77
York’s rating doesn’t change much, but I have less confidence in him than Poggi.  He still has considerable upside because he can go up and get the ball, but he’s not a dynamic athlete.

Taco Charlton – DE – Pickerington (OH) Central: 75 76
Charlton has the speed to stick at weakside end, but he keeps growing and growing. I wonder if at some point he might be too heavy to play WDE and end up as a strongside end. Considering some lacking technique, that could be troublesome.

Logan Tuley-Tillman – OT – Peoria (IL) Manual: 79 75
I’m downgrading Tuley-Tillman a little bit because he’s so raw.  He’s helped by the fact that he’s the only left tackle prospect in this class, but it’s tough to get a feel for him.  Pass protection is still a huge issue for him as he learns.

Mike McCray II – LB – Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: 74
This seems to be a pretty good spot for McCray. It’s unclear whether he’ll finally end up at SAM or MIKE. He’s a good athlete, but I have questions about his ability to read plays quickly.  I might be in favor of putting him at SAM, where he would be in a position to attack more often than having to read and react.

Channing Stribling – CB – Matthews (NC) Butler: 73
I thought about bumping up Stribling, but I just don’t think I can do it.  He showed his ability to make plays in high school, but I just don’t think he has the speed to be a dynamic player in college.  Most of Michigan’s good corners over the past 15 years or so have been fast or at least quick, but I don’t see that in Stribling.

David Dawson – OG – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: 67 71
I’m bumping Dawson up a little bit, because I think he could be a starter later in his career.  Anyone who becomes a starter with the way Michigan is recruiting has to be pretty good player, but I don’t see a particularly high ceiling for him.

Delano Hill – CB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: 71 69
Hill has lots of physical talent, but if he were a great playmaker, he would have been rated higher by the recruiting services.  He seems to be a guy who could be a very good special teamer and earn spot duty in college, but he’s a man without a position – is he a corner or a safety? – and there’s talent at those spots already.

Wyatt Shallman – RB – Novi (MI) Catholic Central: 65
I think this is a pretty good spot for Shallman.  I don’t think he will ever be a starter at running back, although he could be a factor at fullback or U-back in the future.  He also has the ability to contribute on defense, but Shallman and the coaches have been insistent that he’ll play offense.

Ross Douglas – CB – Avon (OH) Avon: 63
Douglas was recruited to play slot corner, and when you combine that with his lack of great size, I think he’s somewhat limited when projecting him beyond college.  I think he could be a solid slot corner in the same vein as Brandon Harrison.

DeVeon Smith – RB – Warren (OH) Howland: 63
I thought about bumping Smith up because I truly believe that Michigan will be putting together some good rushing seasons in the coming years because of the offensive line, and not totally because of the talent of the running backs.  I do not believe Smith has the speed to be a dynamic running back himself, but he might put up good numbers as a backup and perhaps eventual successor to Green.

Reon Dawson – CB – Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: 62
Dawson does have some potential to outperform this ranking, but he’s behind some of the other guys in technical prowess.  The speed and size are there.  It just depends on how it all comes together.

Khalid Hill – TE – Detroit (MI) East English Village: 68 60
Hill can fill a role on this team, but he has talent ahead of him and his lack of speed or size sort of limits his upside.

Dan Samuelson – OG – Plymouth (IN) Plymouth: 65 59
I think Samuelson will be a quality backup down the road, who could make a spot start and be fine.  However, I think he’s someone who might get lost in the shuffle with the rest of the linemen Michigan is getting.

Jaron Dukes – WR – Columbus (OH) Marion Franklin: 70 58
Dukes didn’t have a great senior season, and I already had questions about him going into the 2012 season.  He doesn’t have great speed, and he doesn’t look like a lithe athlete who can make up for that speed deficiency with acrobatics.

Scott Sypniewski – LS – Ottawa (IL) : Incomplete
I don’t know enough about long snappers around the country to offer an opinion here.

12Feb 2013
Uncategorized 9 comments

2013 Recruiting Awards

Derrick Green is dressed properly for the occasion

You can go ahead and glance back at my 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 recruiting award posts.

Best Overall Recruit: RB Derrick Green
Green is widely considered to be the top recruit in Michigan’s class, and running backs are often fairly easy to scout.  Based on the way Michigan is recruiting the offensive line, I think there’s a good chance that Green becomes an All-Big Ten player and perhaps an All-American.  That kind of performance at a place like Michigan would likely set him up for a high NFL Draft pick.

Best Offensive Recruit: RB Derrick Green
Considering the above paragraph, this is obvious.

Best Defensive Recruit: S Dymonte Thomas
Thomas is listed at 6’2″, 192 lbs.  He has good speed and shows excellent hitting ability.  I was particularly impressed with him as a hitter/tackler during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.  I think his long-term potential might be somewhat limited because he hasn’t spent much time in coverage, and NFL teams love those ball hawks.  But as for playing strong safety in college, Thomas looks like an excellent prospect.  I’m excited about his future.

Recruit Most Likely to Make an Early Impact: RB Derrick Green
Until Green committed a couple weeks ago, I would have chosen tight end Jake Butt.  However, Green enters the program when Michigan is looking for a viable #2 tailback, if not a starter while Fitzgerald Toussaint recovers from his broken leg.  I don’t think it’s out of the question for Green to be the leading rusher in 2013.

Fastest Recruit: CB Delano Hill
Hill is a workout warrior who puts up good numbers, and while his speed doesn’t always show up on the field, he did have a laser-timed 4.44 time in the forty.  There really aren’t a whole lot of blazing-fast players in this class.  A couple of the cornerbacks – including Hill – might end up at safety, and a couple of the wide receivers are bigger, slower guys.  None of these guys has speed that jumps out at you, but there are a few guys who can scoot a little bit – Green, Hill, Thomas, Ross Douglas, Reon Dawson, and Da’Mario Jones.

Strongest Recruit: OG Kyle Bosch
Bosch is a big, thick kid who probably doesn’t need to add much size before seeing the field.  He enrolled early at Michigan, and insiders are already saying that he might be in line for a little bit of playing time as a true freshman.  While I’m not sure that will be necessary (unless there are injuries), it’s still a positive tidbit about his future.

Best Under-the-Radar Recruit: WR Da’Mario Jones
Jones is a 6’2″, 185 lb. receiver with good speed.  He needs some polishing, but his speed should allow him to be a deep threat a little more than several other guys on the roster.  When he committed to Michigan, he was sitting on several MAC offers and one from New Mexico.

Most Overrated Recruit: CB Delano Hill
Hill is a 4-star to three of the major recruiting sites (ESPN ranks him as a 3-star), but I think he’s closer to a 3-star prospect.  He is a very good athlete, but I’m not sure he has the football instincts and playmaking ability to justify those 4-star rankings.

Most Likely to Redshirt: OT Chris Fox
Fox, who tore his ACL toward the end of his senior season, will miss some developmental time while he recovers.  Additionally, Michigan returns both starting tackles (Taylor Lewan, Michael Schofield) and has a couple decent redshirt freshmen (Ben Braden, Erik Magnuson), so there’s not much need for Fox to play this year.

Personal Favorite Recruit: S Dymonte Thomas
Thomas was a two-way star in high school who put up excellent numbers on both sides of the ball.  He also seems to be a heady kid who reportedly improved quickly during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, so I think he’ll be fun to watch.  Jordan Kovacs was fun to watch over the past couple seasons, and Thomas should eventually take that strong safety position and play at an even higher level.

11Feb 2013
Uncategorized no comments

Recruiting Update: February 11, 2013

Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra cornerback Adoree’ Jackson (image via Maxpreps)

COMMITMENT
Richmond (VA) Collegiate quarterback Wilton Speight committed to Michigan.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Houston (TX) Cypress Falls linebacker Otaro Alaka was offered by Michigan.  Alaka is a 6’3″, 205 lb. linebacker with offers from Arkansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, among others.  He claims a 4.65 forty and is an early 4-star to Rivals.

Manalapan (NJ) Manalapan wide receiver Saeed Blacknall was offered by Michigan.  Blacknall is a 6’2″, 190 lb. wideout with offers from Georgia Tech, Pitt, and Rutgers, and he claims a 4.5 forty.  As a junior in 2012, he had 40 catches for 473 yards and 11 touchdowns.  He’s a speedster with good size, and I’m a little surprised he doesn’t have a better offer list.  His numbers aren’t extremely impressive, but his highlights are full of big plays.

Aliquippa (PA) Aliquippa safety Dravon Henry was offered by Michigan.  Henry is a 5’11”, 185 lb. running back/safety with offers from Ohio State, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, and West Virginia.  As a junior in 2012, he had 116 carries for 1,919 yards and 23 touchdowns, but Michigan wants him as a safety.  Pitt appears to be his leader for now.

Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra cornerback Adoree’ Jackson was offered by Michigan.  Jackson is a 5’10”, 170 lb. corner with offers from LSU, Miami, Nebraska, UCLA, and USC, among others.  As a junior in 2012, he had 56 tackles and 5 interceptions.  Jackson is electric with the ball in his hands and could by a dynamic corner and return man.  In my opinion, he’s a 5-star talent.

Olney (MD) Good Counsel linebacker Melvin Keihn was offered by Michigan.  Keihn is a 6’3″, 225 lb. outside linebacker with offers from Maryland, Miami, Rutgers, and West Virginia, among others.  As a junior in 2012, he had 14 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble returned for a touchdown.  He could also end up at weakside defensive end.

Highlands Ranch (CO) Valor Christian running back Christian McCaffrey was offered by Michigan.  McCaffrey is a 6’0″, 195 lb. back with offers from Colorado, Colorado State, Oregon, Stanford, Vanderbilt, and Washington, among others.  As a junior in 2012, he had 30 rushing touchdowns and 6 receiving touchdowns.  He’s the son of former NFL wide receiver Ed McCaffrey, and he attends the same high school as 2012 offensive line target Alex Kozan (Auburn).  Michigan is recruiting the younger McCaffrey as a slot receiver.

Washington (PA) Washington running back Shai McKenzie was offered by Michigan.  Mckenzie is a 5’11”, 210 lb. running back with offers from Arkansas, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, and West Virginia, among others.  As a junior in 2012, he had 2,689 rushing yards and 42 rushing touchdowns.  He’s a compact, powerful, downhill runner who claims a 4.42 forty.  He’s from the same hometown as redshirt junior defensive tackle Ken Wilkins, but a different school.

El Cerrito (CA) El Cerrito cornerback Adarius Pickett was offered by Michigan.  Pickett is a 5’10”, 175 lb. corner with offers from Arizona State, Cal, UCLA, and Utah, among others.  247 Sports ranks him as the #13 cornerback in the class and the #160 overall player in the nation.

Long Beach (CA) Poly wide receiver John “Juju” Smith was offered by Michigan.  Smith is a 6’1″, 185 lb. wideout with offers from Arizona, UCLA, USC, and Washington, among others.  He attends the alma mater of former Michigan cornerback Donovan Warren.

McDonough (GA) Eagle’s Landing Christian defensive end Andrew Williams was offered by Michigan.  Williams is a 6’4″, 231 lb. weakside end with offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and USC, among others.  Eagle’s Landing Christian is the alma mater of a couple other Michigan targets in recent years, including Isaac Rochell (Notre Dame) and Avery Walls (Cal).

Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra linebacker Dwight Williams was offered by Michigan.  Williams is a 6’0″, 190 lb. weakside linebacker prospect with offers from Cal, Nebraska, Tennessee, UCLA, and Washington, among others.  As a junior in 2012, he had 158 tackles, 1 sack, 3 interceptions, and 4 forced fumbles.  He attends the same high school as elite corner Adoree’ Jackson, who also holds a Michigan offer.

Memphis (TN) White Station defensive end Petera Wilson was offered by Michigan.  Wilson is a 6’3″, 220 lb. end with offers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, and USC, among others.  He’s an early 4-star to Rivals.

Englewood (NJ) Dwight Morrow wide receiver Juwann Winfree was offered by Michigan.  Winfree is a 6’2″, 180 lb. receiver with offers from Maryland, Pitt, and Rutgers, among others.  He has good size with pretty good speed and an ability to run after the catch.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Salt Lake City (UT) Brighton linebacker Osa Masina was offered by Michigan.  Masina is a 6’4″, 190 lb. prospect with offers from BYU, Utah, and Wisconsin.  His older brother plays for the Utes, but Masina isn’t tied into playing for Utah.  He’s an aggressive, athletic linebacker who would likely play SAM in Michigan’s defense

Orlando (FL) Timber Creek running back Jacques Patrick was offered by Michigan.  Patrick is a 6’1″, 200 lb. tailback with offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Ohio State, and USC, among others.  As a sophomore in 2012, he had 231 carries for 2,032 yards and 29 touchdowns, along with 2 catches for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns.  He’s a downhill runner who runs with good body lean, has a little bit of shiftiness to him, and has very good speed.  He looks like a future 5-star or at least a high 4-star prospect.

OFF THE BOARD
Vienna (GA) Dooly County defensive tackle Montravius Adams committed to Auburn.  Clemson was considered to be his leader up until a few days before National Signing Day.  He’s an explosive defensive tackle who should set up shop in opposing SEC backfields soon.

Westerville (OH) South linebacker Marcus Ball flipped from Wisconsin to Arizona State.  His older brother Ray is an offensive lineman at Wisconsin.  Michigan impressed Marcus on an official visit in December, and rumors suggested he almost  flipped to the Wolverines.

Port Saint Lucie (FL) Saint Lucie West Centennial defensive tackle Jay-nard Bostwick committed to Florida.  Bostwick was originally scheduled to visit Michigan the weekend of January 18th, but he canceled that trip, so Michigan never really had a chance to woo him.

Somerville (NJ) Immaculata defensive end Tashawn Bower flipped from Auburn to LSU.  Bower was a long-time Auburn commitment, so this was a bit hit to their class.

Dadeville (AL) Dadeville defensive tackle Rod Crayton committed to Southern Mississippi.

Fort Lauderdale (FL) University School wide receiver Jordan Cunningham committed to Vanderbilt.  The Commodores almost came out of nowhere, because most experts thought he would end up at either Miami or Stanford.

Louisville (KY) Trinity defensive end Jason Hatcher committed to Kentucky at the last minute.  His recruitment was a wild one that involved two de-commitments from USC in recent weeks.

Corona (CA) Centennial offensive guard Cameron Hunt flipped from Cal to Oregon.  For a long time, Hunt was looking for a way out of Cal’s class.  If Dan Samuelson had not committed to Michigan, I think there’s a very good chance that Hunt would have taken that final offensive line spot in the Wolverines’ class.  Here’s the scouting report I had written up on Hunt.

Southfield (MI) Southfield defensive end Lawrence Marshall committed to Ohio State.  This came as a little bit if a surprise to me because I had heard that Michigan was slightly ahead in the recruiting process, but he and several other prospects visited Columbus this weekend, and I guess he was impressed.

Washington (DC) Friendship Collegiate Academy linebacker Yannick Ngakoue committed to Maryland.  He had previously been committed to the Terps, but he de-committed to consider Florida State, among others.

Charlotte (NC) Mallard Creek wide receiver Marquez North committed to Tennessee.  It was a North Carolina vs. Tennessee battle up until the end, but the Volunteers won out.

Lake City (FL) Columbia offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil committed to Ole Miss.  Tunsil had long been considered a Georgia lean, so this commitment – along with a few others – has raised some eyebrows for people who are wondering how a mediocre SEC team is pulling in such good talent.

Placer (CA) Placer defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes committed to Notre Dame.  Vanderdoes is one of the top few defensive tackles in the nation, in my opinion, so he will be a force to deal with for Michigan over the next couple seasons.  Here’s the scouting report I wrote up on Vanderdoes.

Cordova (TN) St. Benedict running back Jordan Wilkins committed to Ole Miss.  Wilkins had been committed to Auburn for several months, but the coaching changes for the Tigers caused a bit of an issue with some of the recruits.  Here’s the scouting report I had written up on Wilkins.