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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.
