Erik Magnuson, Wolverine
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| Erik Magnuson: His father would be proud. Trust me. |
Erik Magnuson, an offensive tackle from La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, CA, committed to Michigan on Saturday. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Boise State, California, Cincinnati, Colorado, Miami, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon State, San Diego State, Stanford, UCLA, Utah, Washington, and Washington State, among others.
Magnuson was reeled in by tight ends coach Dan Ferrigno, who handles a lot of Michigan’s recruiting on the west coast. The coaching staff originally made contact with Magnuson when they were at San Diego State, and they parlayed that early relationship into convincing the young man to drag his butt halfway across the country. Magnuson had maintained that Michigan was his leader for the past couple weeks, and when he finally got a chance to see the campus, that was all it took.
His current ratings:
ESPN: 4-star, #24 OT
Rivals: 4-star, #5 OT, #34 overall
Scout: 4-star, #16 OT, #97 overall
24/7 Sports: 4-star, #13 OT, #85 overall
As you can see, the reviews of Magnuson indicate that he is either good or very good. He shows very good balance and mirroring abilities as a pass blocker; his kick slide and ability to cancel inside rushes should serve him well at the next level. He also has a mean streak on the field and likes to finish his blocks.
Something Magnuson lacks is truly elite athleticism. Although he has the traits I mentioned above, his feet aren’t particularly quick. If I were coaching or training him, I would really be working agility training to get his feet moving a little better. Speed rushers could potentially give him some trouble in college and beyond. His run blocking could also use some work. There are times when he uses his upper body to hook defenders rather than getting his feet and hips around to the front side of the block. That won’t work with stronger players. Furthermore, sometimes he lets his base get a little too narrow when run blocking, which could hamper his ability to stay on blocks. That last point is the easiest to correct, though, and shouldn’t be an issue in the long run.
Magnuson seems like a LT/RT tweener to me. He doesn’t have the elite quickness that I’d like to see in a left tackle, but he doesn’t have the mass (right now) or run blocking technique to be great at right tackle. I do think these issues are correctable, but his success depends upon how quickly he can shore up these weaknesses. Hopefully it happens soon.
This gives Michigan 16 commitments for the class of 2012. As things stand now, there are two remaining spots to fill. The Wolverines still need a nose tackle and another offensive lineman; I would prefer a guard since Michigan has four guards who will be fifth year seniors when the 2012 class arrives on campus. A quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and safety would be welcome additions if the class expands.
TTB Rating: 87 (view the rating system)