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| 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.
