Jake Butt, Wolverine

Tag: Jake Butt


20Feb 2012
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Jake Butt, Wolverine

Pickerington (OH) North tight end/defensive end Jake Butt (#84)

Pickerington (OH) North tight end Jake Butt committed to Michigan on Sunday evening.  He chose the Wolverines over offers from Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, Stanford, Tennessee, UCLA, and Wisconsin.

Butt is a 6’6″, 230 lb. prospect who claims a 4.7 forty.  He had 27 receptions for for 424 yards and 7 touchdowns as a junior in 2011.  He also had 17.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks from his defensive end position.

Ratings:
ESPN: 4-star DE
Rivals: 4-star TE, #96 overall
Scout: Unranked DE
247 Sports: 4-star TE, 90 grade, #10 TE

Butt previously proclaimed Michigan his leader “by far.”  He visited Michigan this weekend and was enamored enough to sit down with his parents, talk it over, and immediately call up the coaches to commit.  Despite planning to hold off on committing, Michigan’s recent run on commitments and the recent commitment of Detroit (MI) Crockett tight end Khalid Hill seems to have sped up his recruitment.

Butt has an excellent frame to grow into a 250-260 lb. traditional tight end.  He’s a large target who ought to be able to make plays in traffic, and with above average speed, he’ll be a bit of a matchup problem for opponents.  He adjusts well to the ball in the air and has the ability to make up for mediocre throws from his quarterback.  While there aren’t many highlights of him blocking, he does show an aggressive nature as a defensive player that should make him an asset as an in-line blocker.

What I don’t see from Butt is the ability to gain yards after the catch.  The plays in his highlight videos don’t really get him into open space very much, but there are a couple times where he has an opportunity to make something happen.  I also see some shaky receptions where he juggles the ball a little bit before bringing it in, a trait Michigan fans have seen fairly often with Kevin Koger over the past few years.  But will have to add some weight and strength, but that’s not a criticism, because almost every prospect needs to do that.

Overall, Butt is a very good tight end prospect.  He’s not the smooth, explosive tight end we’ve seen making an impact in the NFL recently (Aaron Hernandez, Jimmy Graham, Antonio Gates, etc.), but he will remind Michigan fans of the tight ends of old – Jerame Tuman, Jay Riemersma, etc., guys who can catch, block, and run a little bit.  With the graduation of Brandon Moore after the 2012 season, Butt may be in line to battle A.J. Williams for playing time at the Y position.

As mentioned above, Butt is the second tight end commitment in the 2013 class.  With two having committed in 2012, as well, it seems that Michigan may be done with tight end recruiting for the cycle.  The last Pickerington North player to commit to Michigan was offensive guard Justin Boren in the class of 2006.

For the best junior highlights, visit Rivals.  Or take a look at these from his sophomore season:

18Feb 2012
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Weekend Visitors: February 17-20, 2012

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech offensive guard David Dawson will likely get a Michigan offer during his weekend visit.  Here
he is (left, #55) standing over a demolished opponent when he was a sophomore.
(image via Future College Athlete Association)

Sam Webb, from Scout and the Detroit News, has stated that Michigan will receive some “good news” today at noon on WTKA.  And I’m pretty sure he’s not talking about someone getting pregnant.

Anyway, who’s visiting Michigan this weekend?  These guys:

Kyle Bosch – OG – Wheaton (IL) St. Francis: I wrote a scouting report on Bosch a few weeks ago.  Bosch visited Michigan twice during the 2011 season and is headed back to Ann Arbor for more.  He’s the #44 player to 247 Sports and the #60 player to Rivals, so he’s an upper echelon recruit.  Do not expect a commitment from him in the near future, though.

Jake Butt – TE – Pickerington (OH) North: Butt has also visited Michigan previously and has stated that Michigan is his leader “by far.”  Butt wants to take other visits, but the general feeling is that the Wolverines will be difficult to beat.  He could pair with 2013 commit Khalid Hill to make a nice combo of tight end prospects who complement each other.

Taco Charlton – DE – Pickerington (OH) Central: Charlton is a 6’6″, 240 lb. prospect who could play either weakside or strongside end for Michigan.  The Wolverines are considered to reside at the top of his list, and there’s a shot that he will commit to Michigan soon.

Rod Crayton – DT – Dadeville (AL) Dadeville: Crayton is coming all the way from Alabama in pursuit of an offer.  Scout lists him as already holding an offer, but MGoBlog’s Ace Anbender spoke with him recently, and Crayton said Michigan’s coaching staff wants to get him on campus first.  Regardless, I would be surprised if he walked away from Ann Arbor without an offer.  He projects to the nose tackle position for Michigan.

David Dawson – OG – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Dawson has not yet been offered by Michigan, but there’s a very good chance he will be offered when he’s on campus this weekend.  He played the 2011 season in Houston but has returned to Cass Tech, a traditional pipeline to Ann Arbor.  Dawson recently picked up an offer from Alabama, so Michigan may want to get on the offer bandwagon before any other teams have a chance to build up an insurmountable lead in pursuit of the 6’5″, 305 lb. interior lineman.

Ross Douglas – CB – Avon (OH) Avon: Douglas has not yet been offered by Michigan.  He has offers from Connecticut, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Tennessee, among others.  The 5’10”, 180-pounder also plays running back for Avon.  Michigan is recruiting a couple other small-ish athletes, but mostly the Wolverines have been pursuing bigger corners and bigger running backs.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he picks up an offer this weekend, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t.

Kenton Gibbs – DT – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Gibbs is a 6’2″, 290 lb. nose tackle prospect with MAC offers so far.  There’s a chance that Michigan will offer him this weekend, but I’m not sure that they should.  With over eleven months to go until signing day, I think Michigan ought to give elite defensive tackles a chance to get to Michigan.  Gibbs seems like the type who might jump on a Michigan offer almost immediately.

Khalid Hill – TE – Detroit (MI) Crockett: Hill committed to Michigan a couple weeks ago.

De’Niro Laster – WR – Shaker Heights (OH) Shaker Heights: Laster will be visiting Michigan on Monday.  He has yet to receive an offer from Michigan, and I wouldn’t necessarily expect one soon.  More so than wide receiver, it seems like he would be a prospect for the U position at Michigan, which already has one commitment in the form of Khalid Hill.  He does not seem to have the speed to play wideout for the Wolverines.

Jourdan Lewis – CB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Hill is a 5’11”, 170 lb. cornerback whose recruitment will likely take off in the very near future . . . if he doesn’t commit to Michigan before then.  The general feeling is that he will commit to Michigan in the relatively near future.

Malik McDowell – DE – Detroit (MI) Loyola: The 6’6″, 260 lb. McDowell was supposed to visit Michigan on Thursday, but he did NOT make the trip to Ann Arbor due to illness.  He’s a 2014 prospect who does not have an offer from the Wolverines yet, but Michigan has selectively tossed out offers to a handful of 2014 prospects and McDowell could be the recipient as soon as he reschedules the trip.

Nyles Morgan – LB – Crete (IL) Crete-Monee: Morgan, another 2014 prospect, is a 6’2″, 200 lb. inside linebacker who goes to the same school as 2013 target Laquon Treadwell and former 2012 Michigan commit Anthony Standifer.

Shane Morris – QB – Warren (MI) De La Salle: Morris, one of the top few quarterbacks in the country, committed to Michigan last May.

Donovan Munger – DT – Shaker Heights (OH) Shaker Heights: Munger is a 6’3″, 278 lb. defensive tackle who will be visiting Michigan on Monday along with teammate De’Niro Laster.  He has not yet been offered by Michigan, but with an offer list that includes Auburn, Illinois, Penn State, Tennessee, and West Virginia, it’s not hard to imagine that he’ll get one on his visit.  He could play nose tackle or perhaps offensive guard for the Wolverines if they were to throw their hat into the ring.

Ethan Pocic – OT – Lemont (IL) Lemont: Pocic is a 6’7″, 285-pounder who holds offers from almost the entire Big Ten, including Michigan, and various schools around the country.  He doesn’t speak much to the media, much like fellow Lemont product David Molk.  A commitment should not be expected in the near future, but this is a return trip for Pocic, so his interest in Michigan is serious.

Logan Tuley-Tillman – OT – Peoria (IL) Manual: Tuley-Tillman is a 6’7″, 280 lb. lineman with offers from almost every major program in the country.  He is not expected to commit anywhere soon, but Michigan is considered to be his outright leader, especially since this will be his sixth or seventh visit to Ann Arbor over the last few months.

14Feb 2012
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Class of 2013 Wish List: Offense

One guy we both agreed on was Warren (MI) De La Salle quarterback Shane Morris

Tremendous  and Touch the Banner  pooled together our information and came up with a wish list for the 2013 class.  This is purely a wish list based on guys who have either been offered by Michigan or, in a couple cases, are likely to get offered by Michigan at some point.

QUARTERBACK (Need = 1)

Touch the Banner: Warren (MI) De La Salle quarterback Shane Morris  is already on board, and he’s one of the top two or three quarterbacks in the country.  Based on his talent and how much he loves Michigan, he’s my pick to fill this spot.
Tremendous: Shane Morris – Doesn’t really need much of an explanation. Turn to my interview if necessary. This kid has the physical and mental qualities to play quarterback for Michigan. The only question, and one that can’t be answered yet, is how he’ll respond to getting continuously hit throughout the long run of a full college football season.

RUNNING BACK (Need = 2)
Tremendous: Ty Isaac, Deveon Smith – Isaac is explosive and the type of home-run hitter that Michigan has lacked for quite some time now. He does run a bit upright, but the upside is too much to ignore here. He could contribute quickly, too. Deveon Smith is a tackle-breaking machine who has good vision/cuts in between the tackles. Both of his brothers struggled in college but I don’t expect that to be the case with Deveon. Keith Ford would look good here, too, but despite the recent update I did on him, I don’t expect him to end up at Michigan.
Touch the Banner: 
Michigan needs a big-play guy, and I think Stockton (CA) Lincoln’s Justin Davis  could be that guy.  He’s 6’1″, 195 lbs. and could be the lightning to Cypress (TX) Cypress Ranch’s Keith Ford‘s thunder.  Both can make big plays, unlike a couple offerees who look like pound-the-rock type guys only.

FULLBACK (Need = 0)

Michigan doesn’t need anyone here.

WIDE RECEIVER (Need = 2)
Touch the Banner: Louisville (KY) Trinity wideout James Quick  would be #1 on my list because of his gamebreaking ability.  He’s similar to former Michigan wide receiver Steve Breaston because he’s a skinny guy who can take it the distance at any given time.  Crete (IL) Crete-Monee’s Laquon Treadwell  is a big, physical kid who also has a little bit of speed and can stretch the field.  Michigan could use a couple big-time receivers to pair with Morris.
Tremendous: Jaron Dukes, Laquon Treadwell – Dukes loves Michigan and has the physical tools necessary to fit the old Michigan receiver mold. He’s a bit of a project, but kids who love the program and want to be here are the types of kids that tend to succeed at Michigan. Treadwell is a five-star talent. Not much else to be said about him.

TIGHT END (Need = 2)
Touch the Banner:  Camp Hill (PA) Cedar Cliff tight end Adam Breneman  is considered by many to be the nation’s top tight end for the 2013 class, and again it would be nice to find a good passing target for Morris.  Breneman is the type of tight end who could do damage as a traditional tight end or lined up in the slot.  Meanwhile, Pickerington (OH) North Pickerington’s Jake Butt  is a tough, physical kid who has some good athleticism.  And if things didn’t work out on offense, he has the athletic ability and demeanor to help out on defense, too.
Tremendous: Jake Butt, Adam Breneman – Butt is a likely commit who seems to be somewhat of a rising star within the rankings. I’d still say Breneman is better, but Butt has the frame to bulk up and remains quick enough on his feet for his size to do real damage in the passing game. Breneman is the real deal, a potential Gronk clone if he builds up properly. No reason not to choose a guy like him. Fast as hell for a TE, but more than big enough to block up front.

OFFENSIVE LINE (Need = 5)
Tremendous: Logan Tuley-Tillman, Chris Fox, Kyle Bosch, David Dawson, Laremy Tunsil – Four of these lineman are obvious choices based on ability alone. We really love Dawson though; he’s a pancake machine who would be an epic addition to the run blocking game. The good news? Outside of Tunsil, Michigan has a good shot at all four of these guys.
Touch the Banner: 
I’m going to take one guy for each position.  Give me Lake City (FL) Columbia’s Laremy Tunsil  at left tackle, Dallas (TX) Bishop Dunne left guard Ishmael Wilson, Parker (CO) Ponderosa right guard Chris Fox, and Lemont (IL) Lemont right tackle Ethan Pocic.  And then I’ll take Wheaton (IL) St. Francis’s Kyle Bosch  and move him inside to center, just because Michigan needs a center and I think Bosch could handle it.

3Dec 2011
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Recruiting Update: December 3, 2011

ADDED TO THE BOARD

Pickerington (OH) North DE Jake Butt received an offer from Michigan last week.  Butt is a 6’6″, 220 lb. prospect from the class of 2013.  He has received several offers just this week and now has a list that includes Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Northwestern, Purdue, and UCLA.  Butt moves well and has the frame to grow significantly, and his size indicates a future at weakside defensive end for Michigan.  He attends the same high school as 2011 target Darien Bryant (Vanderbilt) and class of 2006 snowplow operator Justin Boren.

Akron (OH) Firestone WR Kevin Gladney received an offer from Michigan a couple days ago.  Gladney is a 6’3″, 180 lb. prospect from the class of 2013.  Michigan is the first school to offer, but he has stated that West Virginia is his favorite school.  Below are some highlights from Gladney’s sophomore season.  He has nice size, good speed, smooth change of direction skills, and the ability to high point the ball.  I would like to see him refine his skills at catching high passes; while he’s willing and able to go up for them, sometimes he gets his body and hands in awkward positions.  Overall, he looks like a solid prospect.

OFF THE BOARD

Weston (FL) Cypress Bay OG Daniel Isidora committed to Miami.  Isidora is a 6’3″, 330 lb. guard who had offers from Illinois, West Virginia, and Wisconson, among others.  He’s a 3-star to both Rivals (#13 OG) and Scout (#49 OG).  Maybe nobody told him that Nevin Shapiro won’t be handing out any more money and strippers.

Athens (TX) Athens ATH Kendall Sanders decommitted from Oklahoma State and flipped to Texas.  The 6’1″, 175 lb. Sanders just opened up his recruitment a few days ago and then suddenly became a Longhorn. This comes a month after saying “I’m 110% committed to Oklahoma State.”  As if the whole “110%” thing weren’t dumb enough already.  Sanders is a 4-star to both Rivals (#4 ATH, #64 overall) and Scout (#22 WR).