Channing Stribling, Wolverine

Tag: Matthews (NC) Butler


25Jun 2012
Uncategorized 16 comments

Channing Stribling, Wolverine

Channing Stribling (in white)
(image via MGoBlog)

Matthews (NC) Butler cornerback Channing Stribling committed to Michigan last week.  He chose the Wolverines over an offer from Ball State.

Stribling is a 6’2″, 170 lb. cornerback and wide receiver who claims a 4.5 forty.  As a junior in 2011, he had 37 tackles, 14 pass breakups, and 6 interceptions.  On offense he made 37 receptions for 636 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Ratings:
ESPN: Unranked CB
Rivals: 2-star S
Scout: 2-star CB
247 Sports: 3-star ATH, #95 ATH

Stribling is the teammate of several fellow 2013 Michigan offerees: quarterback Riley Ferguson (Tennessee), wide receiver Uriah LeMay (Georgia), and linebacker Peter Kalambayi (Stanford).  Butler consistently churns out FBS talent, many of whom have been offered by Michigan in recent years.  But Stribling didn’t have an offer until he camped at Michigan last week, where he wowed the staff enough to earn an offer on Wednesday.  He committed to Brady Hoke on Thursday morning.

Stribling is a pretty physical player, especially for playing his junior season at 160 lbs. or so.  He’s a willing tackler who wants to come up and hit, but he gets overpowered a little bit at times.  That should change as his body matures and he starts to add weight.  Where he currently lacks the confidence to wrap up ball carriers and instead chooses to go low and dive at legs, he should eventually be a solid run supporter.  Stribling has decent hips and ability to change direction, but his mental discipline helps him there.  He seems to read plays well and recognize developing route combinations.  When the ball is in the air, he shows an ability to go after it, timing his leaps well and using his length to disrupt receivers and bat the ball.  As a receiver, one of Stribling’s key attributes is his ability and willingness to fight for extra yardage after the catch.

On the negative side, Stribling has somewhat limited speed.  He doesn’t accelerate extremely well and even when he gets to top speed, he won’t leave opponents in the dust.  His length and anticipation make up for that lack of speed at times, but in a flat-out foot race, he might not win against opposing players with elite speed.  He also has some footwork and body position issues to work out, but those seem fixable.

By several accounts and what I see on film, Stribling has a solid, hardworking attitude and is a competitive player.  He might not be the best athlete on the field at any given time, but he should work to shore up most of the above weaknesses.  His lack of elite speed and playmaking ability might prevent him from being a nationally elite player at the next level, but he has the potential to be an eventual starter at the boundary corner.  When I look at Stribling, he seems like almost an exact replica of fellow 2013 cornerback commit Gareon Conley.  However, Stribling seems to have a little more position flexibility and could play free safety or perhaps wide receiver if needed.

Stribling is Michigan’s 22nd commit in the class of 2013, a class that is expected to reach 24 or so.  Michigan wants another receiver and possibly another defensive lineman, although they will probably continue to recruit Florida defensive back Leon McQuay III.

TTB Rating: 77