Tag: Mario Ojemudia

2012 Season Countdown: #61 Mario Ojemudia

Mario Ojemudia

Name: Mario Ojemudia
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 225 lbs.
High school: Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
Position: Defensive end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Ojemudia was in high school.  He had 80 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 blocked punt.

Final TTB Rating: 78

When Ojemudia originally was offered and committed to Michigan, I was a little bit leery of him.  People claimed that he was unblockable, but what I saw on film was that nobody really tried.  For a powerhouse team like Harrison that has good players at just about every position, sometimes it’s easy for decent players to play great.  The biggest saving grace for Ojemudia, to me, was that Michigan’s three defensive line coaches – especially Greg Mattison – thought he was a player.  I don’t trust the coaches on everyone, but defensive line recruiting shouldn’t be an issue while he’s at Michigan.

Ojemudia played a lot of defensive tackle in high school, so working at defensive end is going to take an adjustment.  When he played as a stand-up defensive end in the Semper Fidelis All-American Game, he struggled to get off the ball quickly.  It’s a completely different technique from what he played for the past couple seasons.  But Michigan’s coaches have shown a willingness to rotate defensive linemen liberally, which is why three guys played meaningful snaps at weakside end last season (Craig Roh, Jibreel Black, and Frank Clark).  With Roh and Black changing positions to strongside end and 3-tech defensive tackle, respectively, that leaves Clark and SAM-turned-WDE Brennen Beyer to fight for snaps.  Ojemudia’s size at this point might prevent him from being useful on running downs, but his motor and pass rushing ability could make him a valuable third-and-long commodity.

Prediction: Situational pass rusher, backup WDE

Poll results: Who will be Michigan’s starting WDE against Alabama?

Rising sophomore defensive end Brennen Beyer (image via MGoBlog)

This question was asked prior to the spring game, but the last poll question was: Who will be Michigan’s starter at weakside end against Alabama?

Frank Clark: 62%
The 6’2″, 228 lb. sophomore played well in limited time last season, but at the end of spring practice, it seems he’s #2 on the depth chart.  He had 10 tackles, 1/2 a tackle for loss, and 1 interception.  He will surely compete into the fall, and barring an outstanding fall camp from a true freshman, the choice is going to come down to Clark or . . .

Brennen Beyer: 19%
Beyer, pictured above, got the start in last Saturday’s spring game.  He’s listed at 6’3″, 225 lbs. but he seems quite a bit bigger than last year.  Last season he had 11 tackles but seemed slightly miscast as the backup SAM linebacker.  Weakside end seems like a more natural position, but it’s a position change nonetheless.

Jake Ryan: 14%
Redshirt sophomore Jake Ryan, who is 6’3″ and 230 lbs., started at SAM linebacker in 2011.  He proved to be a playmaker by making 37 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries.  He started at SAM once again in the spring game.  Some people are clamoring for him to play defensive end in an effort to get backup SAM Cameron Gordon on the field at the same time, but since Ryan and Gordon are literally the only two strongside linebackers on the roster, that seems unlikely.

Mario Ojemudia: 1% (tie)
Incoming freshman Ojemudia is the only one of the four freshman defensive ends who seems to be slotted for weakside end.  The other three ends seem destined for strongside end or even defensive tackle.  He played defensive tackle at Farmington Hills Harrison and struggled a little bit playing defensive end in the Semper Fi All American Bowl, so I think he’s a long shot to be an immediate starter at the position.

Other: 1% (tie)
I don’t know who else would have earned a vote.  The only other possibility would seem to be incoming freshman Tom Strobel, who might be a weakside end right now but looks like he’ll eventually develop into a strongside end.

The 2012 In-State Recruiting Battle

Mario Ojemudia is Michigan’s top prospect, according to the Detroit News

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio has claimed in recent years that he cares more about in-state recruiting than Michigan, and that might have been true in the years when Rich Rodriguez was the head man at Michigan.  But the arrival of Brady Hoke might have swayed the favor in-state toward Ann Arbor.  Let’s take a look at the top recruits in the state of Michigan, based on the Detroit News’ blue-chip list:

1. Mario Ojemudia – DE – Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6’3″, 225 lb. end – who also played a lot of defensive tackle – had 104 tackles and 14 sacks.  He considered Michigan State early, but committed to Michigan on May 7, 2011, and stuck with Michigan to the end.

2. Terry Richardson – CB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 5’9″, 160 lb. cornerback made 5 interceptions during his senior season.  He was a little later in committing than his in-state friends James Ross and Royce Jenkins-Stone, but he hopped on board on May 19, 2011.  He entertained taking visits to other schools, but mostly he was considering heading to SEC country rather than East Lansing.  However, Michigan’s coaches told him that if he visited elsewhere, they wouldn’t necessarily reserve a spot for him in the recruiting class.  He did not visit elsewhere and signed with Michigan.

3. James Ross – LB – Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s
Offered by:

Michigan and Michigan State
The 6’0″, 210 lb. linebacker made 173 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks as a senior.  He had committed to Michigan back on May 2, 2011, and remained committed throughout the process.

4. Royce Jenkins-Stone – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6’2″, 215 lb. middle linebacker made 115 unassisted tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 2 interceptions as a senior.  He had committed to Michigan on April 16, 2011, and remained committed until National Signing Day.

5. Aaron Burbridge – WR – Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6’2″, 185 lb. wideout reportedly wanted to commit to Michigan along with teammates Ojemudia and Devin Funchess, but he didn’t have the grades to get into Michigan(that sentiment was confirmed by Michigan running backs coach Fred Jackson).  He committed to Michigan State on July 28, 2011, and signed with the Spartans on National Signing Day.

6. Matt Godin – DE – Novi (MI) Catholic Central
Offered by:

Michigan and Michigan State
The 6’6″, 270 lb. defensive end/tackle made 70 tackles and 9 sacks as a senior.  He committed to Michigan on May 12, 2011, and signed with Michigan.

7. Devin Funchess – TE – Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6’4″, 215 lb. tight end committed to Michigan on April 22, 2011, and signed with Michigan in February.

8. Danny O’Brien – DT – Flint (MI) Powers Catholic
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6’2″, 293 lb. defensive tackle considered both in-state schools heavily, but committed to Tennessee on October 6, 2011, and signed with the Volunteers in February.

9. Ron Thompson – TE – Southfield (MI) Southfield
Offered by: Michigan only
The 6’4″, 230 lb. tight end made 57 receptions for 729 yards and 9 touchdowns as a senior.  He was offered by Michigan early in the process but the Wolverines reportedly backed off due to some classroom issues.  He committed to Syracuse on November 7, 2011, and signed with the Orangemen in February.

10. Ben Braden – OT – Rockford (MI) Rockford
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6’7″, 320 lb. offensive tackle committed to Michigan on March 24, 2011.  He signed with the Wolverines in February.

11. Evan Winston – DE – Muskegon (MI) Muskegon
Offered by: Neither in-state school
The 6’4″, 255 lb. defensive end committed to Missouri on July 23, 2011, and signed with the Tigers in February.

12. Jamal Lyles – LB – Southfield (MI) Lathrup
Offered by: Michigan State only
The 6’3″, 215 lb. linebacker made 135 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, and 4 interceptions.  He committed to Michigan State on June 23, 2011, and signed with the Spartans in February.

13. Drake Johnson – RB – Ann Arbor (MI) Pioneer
Offered by: Michigan only
The 6’1″, 215 lb. running back ran for 2,805 yards and 38 touchdowns as a senior.  He committed to Michigan on November 10, 2011, almost immediately after receiving an offer, and signed with Michigan in February.

14. Dennis Norfleet – RB – Detroit (MI) King
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 5’6″, 180 lb. had 2,033 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior.  He was committed to Cincinnati for several months, but he switched his commitment to Michigan on the eve of National Signing Day.

15. Ruben Lile – LB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Offered by: Neither in-state school
Lile committed to Iowa on August 27, 2011, and signed with the Hawkeyes in February.

NOT RANKED:
Riley Bullough – LB – Traverse City (MI) St. Francis
Offered by: Michigan State only
Bullough committed to Michigan State on April 30, 2011.

Kodi Kieler – OT – Gibraltar (MI) Carlson
Offered by: Michigan State only
Kieler committed to Michigan State on August 8, 2011.

SUMMARY
Ten players were offered by both Michigan and Michigan State.  Eight of them picked Michigan, including six of the top seven.  One picked Michigan State (although, as mentioned above, it sounded like Michigan wouldn’t accept his commitment so he went with Plan B).  The other picked Tennessee.

Michigan went after two players who were not offered by MSU.  One picked Michigan.  The other picked Syracuse.

Michigan State went after three players who were not offered by Michigan.  All three picked MSU.

I think it’s fair to say that Michigan kicked Michigan State’s tail when it comes to recruiting in the state.  Brady Hoke 8, Mark Dantonio 1.  I look forward to seeing what 2013 brings.  It’s already 1-0 in Michigan’s favor with Warren (MI) De La Salle quarterback Shane Morris pledging to be a Wolverine.

TTB Ratings: Reason Behind the Ratings

Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison DE Mario Ojemudia made a significant jump in the new TTB ratings

Yesterday I posted the new TTB Ratings for Michigan’s class of 2012 (which I reserve the right to change until after Michigan’s recruiting class is completed), and obviously, there were some significant changes for a few players.  A couple kids have moved up or down a few points, but today I’ll try to explain the reasons behind the biggest movers.

Ondre Pipkins – NT – Kansas City (MO) Park Hill
Pipkins moved up from an 82 to a 90.  I was impressed with Pipkins’ performance in the Army All-American Bowl.  He looked to me to be a little bit out of shape, but I guess 330-pound defensive tackles rarely look like they’re in shape.  However, when he had the gas to go 100%, he was a terror.  He also showed good athleticism in chasing down quarterback Chad Voytik and wide receiver Stefon Diggs, causing a fumble against the latter.  Pipkins dominated the high school competition in Kansas City, but doing it against elite competition suggests that he’ll be able to have success in the Big Ten, too.

Joe Bolden – MIKE – Cincinnati (OH) Colerain
Bolden moved up from a 77 to an 88.  I was slightly disappointed that Bolden couldn’t bring down a few more ballcarriers in the Under Armour All-American Game, but he was the week’s best tackler in practice and he was very good at diagnosing plays.  I’ve always liked his decisiveness and intelligence, but he showed throughout the season and the all-star game that he has the speed and athleticism to be a very good Big Ten linebacker.  He needs to add weight and he would benefit from a redshirt year so he can improve his upper body strength.

Jehu Chesson – WR – St. Louis (MO) Ladue Horton Watkins
Chesson moved up from a 77 to an 87.  As I consider the future of Michigan’s offense under Brady Hoke and Al Borges, I realize the value of a jump-ball guy like Chesson.  He’s excellent at high-pointing the ball and catching it with his hands, and that bodes well for his future for Michigan.  He looks like an Adrian Arrington clone, and without another downfield threat on the squad, he could be that guy who can stretch the field as soon as next season.

Mario Ojemudia – WDE – Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
Ojemudia moved up from a 67 to a 78.  Ojemudia played defensive end/outside linebacker in the Marine game, and his performance wasn’t very impressive . . . but since he mostly played defensive tackle in high school, I’m going to give him a little bit of a pass.  One of his strengths is getting off the ball quickly, and without the ball right under his nose, his reaction time was affected negatively.  However, his senior highlight film shows a guy who can use his hands to get off blocks, and he reminds me of the freshman version of Frank Clark.  Those two are very similar players, and Ojemudia looks like he’ll be able to fill that weakside end position nicely.

Blake Bars – C – Nashville (TN) Montgomery Bell
Bars dropped from a 71 to a 62.  I wasn’t extremely high on Bars to begin with, because he seems a little slow-footed and doesn’t seem like a great athlete.  He looks like more of a backup and maybe a late-career starter as a tackle, but now that Caleb Stacey has decommitted in favor of Cincinnati, that might require the 6’5″ Bars to play center.  Since he lacks experience at the position and because of his lack of quickness, I think he might struggle inside.

Jeremy Clark – FS – Madisonville (KY) North Hopkins
Clark moved up from a 49 to a 59.  When I first heard about Clark and saw film on him, I thought he might be a big fish in a small pond.  But the more film I saw of him, the more I think he can make an impact at the next level.  He’s a lanky kid who gets by on athleticism, so I think college is going to be a bit of a wake-up call for him.  He probably won’t be the type who comes in and lights the world on fire.  He’ll have to improve his pursuit angles and he’ll have to become a more fundamental tackler, but his height (6’4″) and flat-out speed should provide a nice athlete on the back end to work with for four or five years down the road.

Kaleb Ringer – WILL – Clayton (OH) Northmont
Ringer dropped from a 64 to a 39.  As you might be able to tell from his original rating of 64, I wasn’t too high on Ringer from the start.  However, the more that I have seen and heard of Ringer, the more I’m concerned about him remaining with the program.  I do think he has the physical talent to be a backup, but let’s face it – guys from every recruiting class get lost in the shuffle, become career backups, transfer, etc.  My gut feeling on Ringer is that he’ll be one of those guys, especially with all the other talent at linebacker in the 2012 class.

Detroit News: Blue Chip List

Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison TE/WR Devin Funchess is the #7 player in the state

The Detroit News gives a rundown of their top 15 in-state players for the class of 2012, and the top four guys are headed to Michigan.  On the list:

1. Mario Ojemudia

2. Terry Richardson
3. James Ross
4. Royce Jenkins-Stone
6. Matt Godin

7. Devin Funchess
10 Ben Braden
13. Drake Johnson