Tag: George Rooks

Ex-Wolverine Player Updates: Pre-season 2023

FORMER PLAYERS

TE Erick All (Iowa): All is now a Hawkeye and might play second fiddle at tight end to Luke Lachey, but Iowa uses multiple tight ends on a regular basis, so he should get plenty of playing time. Last year’s second tight end was Lachey, who had 28 catches for 398 yards and 4 touchdowns behind Sam LaPorta, who is now with the Detroit Lions.

WR Andrel Anthony (Oklahoma): Anthony is slotted in as a starting receiver for the Sooners this fall. He’s listed as a 6’1″, 192 lb. junior.

QB Alan Bowman (Oklahoma State): Bowman is in a battle for the starting quarterback job at one of the “other” OSU schools.

OG Zach Carpenter (Indiana): Carpenter is a redshirt senior who is expected to start at center for the Hoosiers.

S Damani Dent (Charlotte): Dent is a 5’11”, 196 lb. redshirt freshman at Charlotte.

CB Darion Green-Warren (Nevada): Green-Warren is a redshirt sophomore who is expected to be a backup for the Wolfpack in 2023.

TE Louis Hansen (UConn): Hansen is expected to start for the Huskies at tight end this fall. He’s listed at 6’4″ and 238 pounds.

Hit the jump for more.

George Rooks, Ex-Wolverine

Second-year defensive lineman George Rooks has entered the transfer portal. Rooks played in six games this past season and three in 2021. He made 1 tackle and 1 fumble recovery in his career as a Wolverine.

Rooks was a class of 2021 signee and part of a much needed influx of defensive linemen. Coming out of Jersey City (NJ) St. Peters Prep, he was a 4-star, the #35 defensive lineman, and #271 overall. I gave him a TTB Rating of 80 (LINK) and here was my overall summation of his talents:

Overall, Rooks has a nice set of athletic skills but is held back by a little bit of a tendency toward finesse when taking on blockers. I believe he will make a move to the interior of the defensive line, and it will take some time to bulk up. I see him as an eventual 290- to 295-pounder playing 3-tech (outside shoulder of the guard) or 4i (inside shoulder of tackle). With proper development, he could become a quietly solid player in the mold of Matt Godin.

Listed at 6’5″ and 278 lbs., Rooks never reached the weight that I expected from him. Obviously, he never made much of an impact at Michigan, but based on what I’ve seen, I think he could still be a quality player for someone down the road.

Rooks is the second player from the 2021 class to announce an entry into the transfer portal, following tight end Louis Hansen.

2022 Season Countdown: #54 George Rooks

Name: George Rooks
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 270 lbs.
High school: Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #54
Last year: I ranked Rooks #84 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He played in three games.
TTB Rating: 80

Rooks joined Michigan’s program in 2021 with some questions about what position would he play. Would he remain relatively lean and play on the outside? Or would he bulk up some and play some defensive tackle? With the body of a tweener, it’s natural to assume that he might have to spend a year or two figuring out his physical development.

Rooks looked pretty solid in April’s spring game, and he should see an uptick in playing time this season. Michigan did lose a lot of production from last year’s defensive line – defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, outside linebacker David Ojabo, and defensive tackle Chris Hinton – but there are several experienced veterans returning. Rooks isn’t really in the discussion to be a starter, and while he could break into the two-deep, he’s more likely be a rotational guy around #3 on the depth chart.

Prediction: Backup defensive tackle

2021 Season Countdown: #84 George Rooks

Name: George Rooks
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 270 lbs.
High school: Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Rooks was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 41 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks.
TTB Rating: 80

Rooks was one of the big fish the Wolverines were trying to reel in at the end of the 2021 class, since they needed defensive tackles – especially athletic ones. Rooks comes from an athletic family: his dad played defensive line for Syracuse and got drafted by the Giants, and his sister played college basketball, including one season at Michigan. More of the athletic type than a space-eater, Rooks played quite a bit of defensive end in high school.

At the next level, Rooks will probably move into the interior, probably to more of a 4i or 5-tech position. I could also see him being used at the nose tackle position in certain pass rush situations. But all of that will probably come sometime down the road, since he is still a little bit light and probably needs to adjust his technique to handle combo blocks a little better. He is athletic enough to possibly get on the field toward the end of games in non-critical situations, but a redshirt is also a strong possibility.

Prediction: Redshirt

Class of 2021: Historical Recruiting Comparisons

In case you’re not aware, I have a list of every Michigan recruit going back 20+ years and their rankings (LINK).

Below you will find each 2021 recruit and his closest ranked comparison by position in Michigan history. This might help boost – or temper – some expectations for what we will see from the class.

Hit the jump for the comparisons.