Tag: 2014 recruiting

Scouting Report: Lawrence Marshall

Southfield (MI) Southfield defensive end Lawrence Marshall

Name: Lawrence Marshall
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 225 lbs.
High school: Southfield (MI) Southfield
Position: Defensive end
Class: 2014

Notes: Holds offers from Bowling Green, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, San Diego State, Syracuse, Tennessee, and Toledo . . . ESPN 4-star, 83 grade, #12 DE, #107 overall . . . Rivals 3-star, #19 WDE . . . Scout 4-star, #12 DE . . . 247 Sports 4-star, 91 grade, #12 WDE, #207 overall

Strengths: Shows a good first step, both forward and also laterally on slants . . . Does a good job of making plays in the trash . . . Can reach out and slow down or tackle runners while being blocked . . . Good straight line speed . . . Long wingspan . . . Decent frame to add weight . . . Violent hitter

Weaknesses: Often stands up too high off the snap . . . Does not show ability to use hands to shed blockers . . . Very rudimentary pass rusher . . . Shows virtually no versatility in pass rush moves . . . Mediocre change of direction . . . Sometimes appears not to be hustling when chasing plays from behind

Projection: Strongside end. Marshall is a good athlete, but he’s not outstanding in any facet of the game.  He gets off the ball and shows good straight line speed, but he lacks some refinement, and he’s not helped by the quality of his opponents.  He does make some plays against a quality-coached opponent in Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison, but even in that game, he was unblocked on too many plays; other teams just don’t pay any attention to him and allow him to slice in for uncontested sacks, tackles for loss, etc.  Rather than being Lawrence Marshall highlights, these seem like Southfield opponents’ lowlights.  Technique can be improved, but I think a lack of explosiveness and change-of-direction skills might be an issue as a weakside defensive end.  Marshall seems like a decent FBS player, but not a future superstar.

Reminds me of: Craig Roh. Roh was a good high school athlete who was able to blow past high school offensive tackles at times, but he also struggled to rush the passer because of an inability to change direction well. Roh used his hands better as a prep, and he was eventually a very technical player with limited athletic ability.

Likelihood of committing to Michigan: Marshall was committed to Ohio State at one time, but they have since been eliminated from contention.  Several insiders think that Michigan State is the leader for his services, but Michigan seems to be right behind; if things fall through with the Spartans, the Wolverines might be next in line to contend for his commitment.

Recruiting Update: May 6, 2013

Fort Lauderdale (FL) University School defensive back Quincy Wilson

COMMITMENT
Paramus (NJ) Catholic offensive tackle Juwann Bushell-Beatty committed to Michigan.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
New Castle (PA) New Castle athlete Malik Hooker was offered by Michigan.  He’s a 6’2″, 185 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Penn State, Pitt, and West Virginia, among others.  Hooker may not even play football in college, because he’s also an accomplished basketball player (check out this dunk); maybe I’m biased, but at 6’2″ he should probably aim for a football career instead of basketball.  Hooker looks more like a cornerback to me, but some schools are looking at him as a wide receiver.

Fort Lauderdale (FL) University School safety Quincy Wilson was offered by Michigan.  He’s a 6’2″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and USC, among others.  According to the 247 Composite ranking, he’s a 4-star, the #18 safety, and the #236 overall prospect.  Wilson claims a 4.6 forty, but I think his physicality lends itself to playing safety at the next level.  His father Chad played for the Miami Hurricanes.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Pittsburgh (PA) Baldwin offensive tackle Sterling Jenkins was offered by Michigan.  He’s a 6’8″, 305 lb. prospect with offers from Virginia and West Virginia.  He is obviously huge and he moves well for his size, but he needs to add some strength and improve his technique; as a sophomore in high school, those weaknesses are understandable.

Lincolnton (NC) Lincolnton defensive end Darian Roseboro was offered by Michigan.  He’s a 6’3″, 265 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, North Carolina, and North Carolina State.

Lexington (NC) North Davidson defensive tackle Shy Tuttle was offered by Michigan.  He’s a 6’2″, 308 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, and South Carolina, among others.  There’s been some confusion over whether Tuttle was actually offered when Michigan’s coaches stopped by his school last week, but Rivals lists him with an offer, so I’m going with it.  As a sophomore in 2012, he had 83 tackles, 16 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles.

OFF THE BOARD
Duluth (GA) Peachtree Ridge offensive tackle Orlando Brown committed to Tennessee.  Brown, the son of  the late NFL offensive lineman by the same name, stands 6’7″ and 340 lbs.  Michigan was in his final group of schools, but there was no expectation that he would commit to the Wolverines.

Grand Rapids (MI) Christian center Tommy Doles committed to Northwestern.  For a long time, Doles appeared to be close to committing to Michigan.  However, the longer he held off, it seemed Michigan just wasn’t quite his perfect destination.  There has also been some suggestion that Michigan’s coaching staff started to cool on him.

Highlands Ranch (CO) Valor Christian wide receiver Christian McCaffrey committed to Stanford.  Michigan was recruiting McCaffrey as slot receiver, but he is expected to play running back for the Cardinal.  His father Ed was a long-time NFL wide receiver for the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Denver Broncos (career: 565 catches, 7422 yards, 55 touchdowns).  The two things I remember most about McCaffrey are a) people saying “Wow, he’s pretty fast for a tall white guy” and b) that ugly broken leg on Monday Night Football.

Scouting Report: Alex Bars

Nashville (TN) Montgomery Bell offensive tackle Alex Bars (image via 247 Sports)

Name: Alex Bars
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 290 lbs.
High school: Nashville (TN) Montgomery Bell
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: 2014

Notes: Holds offers from Arkansas, California, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kentucky, LSU, Michigan, Mississippi State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Mississippi, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, South Carolina, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, and Virginia . . . ESPN 4-star, 83 grade, #7 OT, #55 overall . . . Rivals 4-star, #6 OT, #55 overall . . . Scout 4-star, #24 OT . . . 247 Sports 4-star, 91 grade, #14 OT, #183 overall . . . Father Joe played linebacker at Notre Dame . . . Brother Brad plays defensive end for Penn State . . . Brother Blake plays offensive guard for Michigan

Strengths: Very good height and length . . . Shows excellent pad level when run blocking . . . Comes off ball low and hard . . . Fast enough and agile enough to latch onto second-level players . . . Maintains wide base at second level . . . Rolls hips well through blocks . . . Does a good job with hand placement to get under defender’s pads . . . Shows active feet in pass blocking . . . Plays to the whistle . . . Shows a willingness to help out teammates and make second effort blocks to keep quarterback clean

Weaknesses: Needs to work on pass blocking . . . Kick set is virtually non-existent, partly because of the offense Montgomery Bell runs . . . Speed rushers can give him trouble because he can’t get out of his stance fast enough . . . Sometimes forced to cross over feet to catch up to outside rush . . . Lacks a little bit of nastiness

Projection: Left tackle.  Bars has the feet to play left tackle, but he could play either guard or tackle position.  He already has good size, so that aspect shouldn’t be a problem.  The technique of pass protection is going to be the biggest issue for him, in my opinion.  His athleticism will help him pick that up, so it all depends on how quickly he can make the mental adjustments and get the reps to be a quality pass blocker.  If that gets sorted out, he could be a BCS all-conference type of player.

Reminds me of: Ben Braden

Likelihood of committing to Michigan: With family history at Michigan, Notre Dame, and Penn State, there are a lot of connections.  The latest talk has it as a neck-and-neck race between the Wolverines and Fighting Irish, with Penn State and Tennessee lagging a little behind.

Highlights on Hudl.

Juwann Bushell-Beatty, Wolverine

Paramus (NJ) Catholic offensive tackle Juwann Bushell-Beatty (image via Rivals)

Paramus (NJ) Catholic offensive tackle Juwann Bushell-Beatty committed to Michigan on Monday.  He picked the Wolverines over offers from Boston College, Florida, Florida State, Massachusetts, Miami, Michigan State, Rutgers, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

Bushell-Beatty stands 6’7″ and 310 lbs.

RATINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 83 grade, #10 OT, #120 overall
Rivals: 3-star, #29 OT
Scout: 3-star, #45 OT
247 Sports: 4-star, 90 grade, #17 OT, #215 overall

Bushell-Beatty was offered in February, just a couple weeks after National Signing Day.  He visited Penn State and Boston College in the meantime, and he also stopped by Ohio State on the same trip in which he visited Michigan.  After that midwest trip, he declared Michigan his leader; many presumed that he would commit to the Wolverines, but Michigan hasn’t recruited New Jersey very successfully over the past few seasons.

When watching Bushell-Beatty’s highlights, they started off well.  I think he shows some pretty impressive footwork for such a large guy, and he moves his feet very well in both the pass and run game.  He shows a nice kick set, keeps a wide base, and stays well balanced while sitting back in his pass set.  He also flashes the ability to show a good punch and control a rusher’s inside number.  He has a thick lower body, which should allow him to develop a strong power base and anchor well against inside pass rushes.

I also thought his highlight-worthy plays ran out fairly quickly.  Regarding his pass blocking, Bushell-Beatty sometimes opens up his hips and outside foot too early, which could make him susceptible to defensive ends spiking inside.  While he shows a good hand punch at times, it’s not consistent enough and he needs to work on keeping his hands inside.  In the run game, he shows decent footwork but he tends to stand up too high; despite his heft, he doesn’t appear to have the strength to drive defensive linemen off the ball.  At times he gets stoned by players who are smaller than him, partly because of pad level but also partly due to some apparent lack of functional strength.  He needs to play lower and get in the weight room.  And while several of Michigan’s recent offensive line recruits look like solid overall athletes, Bushell-Beatty is a little less so and will have to work on his balance and flexibility.

I think Bushell-Beatty projects best as a left tackle at the next level, because he has a pretty good feel for pass protection.  His run blocking needs the most work, in my opinion, so offensive guard and right tackle are a bigger leap.  He has a good deal of mass and probably doesn’t need to add weight (if he is indeed 310 lbs.), but he will need to turn some of that current weight into muscle.  I do not think he has the athleticism to be a great offensive lineman, but there is some potential for him to be a starter at some point, a guy like Mark Huyge.

Bushell-Beatty is the eighth commitment in the class of 2014 and the second offensive lineman, joining Tarpon Springs (FL) East Lake’s Mason Cole.  If the recruiting class remains at the size of 16, then I would expect Michigan to take three total linemen; the third could be a guy at any of the offensive line positions, because I think Michigan has built enough depth at every spot to take the “best player available.”  Meanwhile, Bushell-Beatty’s teammate is cornerback Jabrill Peppers, widely considered to be the best cornerback prospect in the country.  Michigan has not pulled in a player from Paramus (NJ) Catholic before, and he is the first from the Garden State since Anthony Lalota in the 2009 class.  However, Michigan did have a short run of success recruiting the state in the 2000s with guys like J.B. Fitzgerald, Victor Hobson, and Brandon Smith.

TTB Rating: 68 (ratings explanation)

Highlights can be found on Hudl.

Recruiting Update: April 29, 2013

Upper Marlboro (MD) Wise safety Marcus Allen

COMMITMENT
Hinsdale (IL) Central tight end Ian Bunting committed to Michigan.

Detroit (MI) Country Day wide receiver Maurice Ways committed to Michigan.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Upper Marlboro (MD) Wise safety Marcus Allen was offered by Michigan.  He’s a 6’1″, 180 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Maryland, Penn State, Pitt, and Stanford, among others.  As a junior in 2012, he had 70 tackles.  According to the 247 Composite rankings, he’s a 4-star, the #25 safety, and the #316 player overall.

OFF THE BOARD
Charlotte (NC) Christian tight end Jeb Blazevich committed to Georgia.  He initiated the run on tight end commitments this week, although Blazevich was not seriously interested in Michigan.

Missouri City (TX) Fort Bend Austin running back Vic Enwere does not have a Michigan offer.  It turns out that a recruiting reporter didn’t know the difference between Michigan and Michigan State, so perhaps that guy is in the wrong profession.


Chatham (IL) Glenwood tight end Daniel Helm committed to Tennessee.  While the Volunteers were presumed to be the favorite already, the commitment of Bunting to Michigan early in the day seemed to cause Helm to pull the trigger.  The Wolverines were supposedly running second to Tennessee, and Michigan supposedly wants just one tight end in the class, so the decision was basically made for him.

Charlotte (NC) Christian running back Elijah Hood committed to Notre Dame.  The Fighting Irish were thought to be his leader before he visited Michigan this spring, after which he briefly talked up the chances of him coming to Michigan.  Shortly afterward, he claimed he was going to stay close to home (hint: UNC) so his family could watch him play.  Then he visited Notre Dame this past weekend and committed.  I would not be entirely surprised if he opened things back up at some point, because he seems a little indecisive.

Washington (DC) St. John’s quarterback William Ulmer was offered by Michigan.  He’s a 6’1″, 190 lb. prospect who committed to Maryland on Thursday over offers from Florida State, Miami, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, among others.  He passed for 1,245 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior in 2012, along with running for 1,412 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Midlothian (IL) Marist tight end Nic Weishar committed to Notre Dame.  Prior to Bunting’s Michigan visit, the Fighting Irish were thought to be the leader for both players with Michigan in second or third place, so Weishar’s commitment on Tuesday evening seems to have been the result of a domino effect.  Blazevich to Georgia, then Bunting to Michigan, then Helm to Tennessee, then Weishar to Notre Dame.  Here’s the scouting report I posted on Weishar back in January.