Tag: Dele’ Harding

Dele’ Harding, Wolverine

Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy linebacker Dele’ Harding

Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy linebacker Dele’ Harding committed to Michigan on Friday. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Tennessee and USC, among others.

RATINGS
ESPN: 3-star inside linebacker
Rivals: 4-star, #5 inside linebacker, #186 overall
Scout: 3-star, #29 outside linebacker, #286 overall
247 Sports: 3-star, 84 grade, #17 inside linebacker

Harding is a 6’1″, 232 lb. prospect. As a junior this season, he has 67 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, and 4 fumble recoveries.

Harding was a high school teammate of a couple current Michigan freshmen, wide receiver Freddy Canteen and safety Brandon Watson. He has been high on Michigan, visited over the summer for the past couple years, and was offered by the Wolverines this past June. A couple other big programs came calling, too, but he always seemed to have an affinity for the Wolverines.

I had not seen video on Harding until this evening, and it appears this was posted just after Harding committed. Without any visual evidence, it was hard to gauge whether such an early offer to a 2016 prospect was warranted or not. Now having seen the video, it leaves me scratching my head a little bit. I’m not quite sure what a team like USC – which practically has its pick of players on the west coast – sees in Harding in order to offer him so early.

From my perspective, Harding is a solid tackler once he gets his hands on ball carriers, and he seems to create a lot of turnovers. Otherwise, I don’t see a ton of positives. He plays upright, is a little slow to diagnose plays, takes poor angles, does not change direction well, and lacks great speed. There are some nice hits on his highlight reel, but not many remarkable plays. However, ECA does play a very good schedule – Cleveland (OH) St. Edward’s, Paramus (NJ) Catholic, Washington (DC) Friendship Collegiate – so perhaps his lack of big plays should be taken with a grain of salt. Still, the raw athleticism expected of someone with his caliber of offers seems to be missing.

Harding reminds me a little bit of former Michigan linebacker John Thompson. There is obviously time to improve, but that’s what I see right now. He is the third commit in the 2016 class, joining quarterback Messiah DeWeaver and offensive tackle Erik Swenson. I would expect that Michigan goes hard after several linebackers, because Joe Bolden, Royce Jenkins-Stone, Desmond Morgan, and James Ross III are all scheduled to graduate after the 2015 season.

TTB Rating: To be determined

Recruiting Update: June 16, 2014

Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy LB Dele’ Harding (image via Twitter)

COMMITMENT
Lawrenceville (NJ) Lawrenceville School offensive tackle Grant Newsome committed to Michigan (LINK).

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Nacogdoches (TX) Nacogdoches cornerback Jaylon Lane was offered by Michigan. The 6’1″, 177-pounder committed to Oklahoma State in early May and has offers from Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Oklahoma, among numerous others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #22 cornerback, and #195 overall. He claims a 4.44 forty and a 36″ vertical. As a junior in 2013, he made 46 tackles, 5 interceptions (2 returned for touchdowns), and 1 kickoff return touchdown.

Greensboro (NC) Northern Guilford cornerback Mook Reynolds was offered by Michigan. The 5’11”, 170-pounder committed to Virginia Tech in early February and has offers from North Carolina, Notre Dame, and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #25 cornerback, and #272 overall. Reynolds would like to visit Ann Arbor this summer and wants to make a “final decision” in August, so the Wolverines (and other schools) have a chance to move in. Both of these new cornerback offers seem to be related to the recent decommitment of Lakewood (OH) St. Edward cornerback Shaun Crawford.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy linebacker Dele’ Harding was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 230 lb. prospect with offers from Massachusetts, Tennessee, and USC. He’s a Scout 3-star, the #26 outside linebacker, and #280 overall. Harding was a teammate of Freddy Canteen and Brandon Watson and has visited Michigan a couple times before, including last summer’s camp. Steve Lorenz from 247 Sports immediately put in a Crystal Ball pick for Michigan.

Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep tight end Naseir Upshur was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 232 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Maryland, Pitt, Rutgers, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #5 tight end, and #166 overall. Upshur is a capable receiver, but his most impressive skill is his run blocking. Despite not being the largest tight end around, he’s tenacious and uses excellent technique. Michigan also pursued 2013 running back David Williams (South Carolina) from Imhotep.

OFF THE BOARD
Lakewood (OH) St. Edward cornerback Shaun Crawford committed to Notre Dame. Crawford was previously committed to Michigan, just like I was previously committed to that one girl before that other, prettier girl came along. It turned out she was crazy, though.

MISCELLANEOUS
The list of lists:

• Michigan’s weekend visitors (LINK)
• Michigan’s summer camp visitors (LINK)
• Sound Mind Sound Body participants (LINK)

Last week on Recruiting Season, I profiled Dearborn Fordson WR Jamil Sabbagh, Macomb Dakota DE Antonio Balabani, Warren De La Salle DE Mike Danna, Lansing Sexton LB Rayshawn Wilborn, and Pontiac CB Ja’Mar Antwine.