Tag: scouting report

Scouting Report: New 2015 Quarterbacks

Stephenville (TX) Stephenville quarterback Jarrett Stidham

Here’s another batch of quarterback scouting reports for the 2015 class. I spent a lot of time on these (too much time?), so hopefully they’re useful and enjoyable. You might remember that I did this for another group of quarterbacks at the beginning of January, but Michigan’s quarterback recruiting has stalled somewhat and some new names have popped up on the radar. Since that time, Blake Barnett and Jarrett Stidham have been offered, Doug Nussmeier was hired to replace Al Borges, and Ricky Town flipped from Alabama to USC, among other things. I’ll place this batch in order, and at the end of the post, I’ll give my own ranking of all the quarterback prospects.

1. Jarrett Stidham – QB – Stephenville (TX) Stephenville: Stidham is a 6’3″, 190 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 5-star, the #2 dual-threat quarterback, and #34 overall. He claims a 4.57 forty time. As a junior in 2013, he was 156/254 for 2,613 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions; he also ran 138 times for 821 yards and 14 touchdowns. Stidham is a polished spread quarterback, and he does a good job of making pre-snap reads and knowing where he wants to go with the ball. He has a little bit of a hitch in his delivery at times, but that doesn’t bother me much. He shows nice pocket awareness and stands tall while staying on his toes, so he’s always in a throwing position. He does not have a rocket for an arm, but he has above average arm strength. Perhaps the best thing about him is that he knows where to go with the ball and gets in there in a place where his receivers can run after the catch. One thing I noticed is that he does not have the most skilled receivers and running backs around him, yet he still puts up pretty big numbers. While Stidham is ranked as a dual-threat quarterback, he’s not an elusive or speedy runner; he makes hay on the ground by making good, quick reads in the option game. I see him more as a pro-style quarterback.

2. Ricky Town – QB – Ventura (CA) St. Bonaventure: Town is a 6’4″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Stanford, Texas, and UCLA, along with several others; he committed to USC in late January after being committed to Alabama. Michigan offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier recruited him to Alabama initially, and there is some scuttlebutt that Nussmeier extended a Michigan offer, too, but that has not been confirmed. Anyway, Town is a 247 Composite 5-star, the #2 pro-style quarterback, and #6 overall. As a junior in 2013, he completed 67% of his passes for 2,300 yards and 25 touchdowns. There’s a lot to like about Town, but not as much as Stidham, in my opinion. Town has superior arm strength, and he has quick feet taking his drop. He is not the most athletic guy and lacks creativity outside of the pocket, which will cause him to take some big and potentially dangerous hits. Town has a quick release at times, but sometimes he gets sloppy with his mechanics and holds the ball a little too low, causing a longer windup. The biggest issue I see with Town is that he tends to force the ball into tight windows, and he doesn’t always put it in the most catchable spot or lead his receivers to yards after the catch. Too many times he passes up wide open receivers to hit receivers who are in double-coverage or about to get lambasted. He has the ability to make every throw, which is tantalizing, but I’m not sure that he’s the best decision maker.

3. Blake Barnett – QB – Corona (CA) Santiago: Barnett is a 6’3″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Cal, Ole Miss, UCLA, and West Virginia; he committed to Notre Dame in November 2013. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #3 pro-style quarterback, and the #83 player overall. His Hudl profile suggests a 4.7 forty, a 4.4 pro agility shuttle, a 30″ vertical, a 240 lb. bench max, and a 375 lb. squat max. As a junior in 2013, he had 2,332 passing yards and 22 touchdowns, along with 695 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. I’m a little bit at odds with his ranking as a pro-style quarterback, because Barnett does a lot of work with his legs. He’s not a dynamic runner who will break open the game by running the ball, but he can keep a play alive, move the chains, and occasionally bust a long one; his running style reminds me of former Wolverine Tate Forcier. As a passer, Barnett has solid mechanics. He works mostly out of a shotgun spread look, so his footwork and progressions from under center might be question marks. He has adequate arm strength but shows nice touch on the ball, throwing some very nice corner routes and seam routes. Barnett also shows that he goes through progressions, is able to look off defenders, and check the ball down to his second and third options, at least. He looks like a Brian Kelly type of quarterback to me.

4. Brian Lewerke – QB – Phoenix (AZ) Pinnacle: Lewerke is a 6’3″, 180 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Louisville, Ole Miss, UCLA, and West Virginia. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #21 pro-style quarterback, and #483 overall. He claims a 4.67 forty, a 4.26 shuttle, a 32″ vertical, a 195 lb. bench max, and a 280 lb. squat. As a junior in 2013, he was 167/316 for 2,780 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions; he also had 464 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. Lewerke is a kid with a good frame who looks like he’ll continue to grow and fill out to be well over 200 lbs. Listed as a pro-style quarterback, he can run a little bit and is difficult to take down on the move; he won’t run away from many people, but he should be able to move the chains if you forget about him. When he scrambles, he keeps his eyes downfield looking for receivers and can throw on the move. Lewerke has a quick release and can deliver the ball on a line, in tight spaces, or with touch over the top. I was not extremely impressed with his sophomore film, but I think he took a big step forward as a junior.

5. Brandon Wimbush – QB – Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep: Wimbush is a 6’2″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Miami, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #5 dual-threat quarterback, and #163 overall. As a junior in 2013, he was 52/80 for 822 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions; he also ran 25 times for 237 yards and 2 touchdowns and claims a 4.65 forty. Wimbush is a thick and powerful kid who reminds me a little bit of former Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith. He has good speed without being blazingly fast, and he has enough power to run through a tackle here or there, too; if he’s running downhill at a cornerback or safety with 2 yards to go for a first down, my Monopoly money’s on Wimbush. He has a powerful arm with a little bit of a long release, though it’s high enough to prevent some batted balls. Wimbush has the speed, strength, and creativity to make things happen outside the pocket. I would like to see him get rid of the ball a little quicker and have a better command of the offense and reading defenses, because some of his throws take too long to develop, which won’t be as much of an option at the next level. The physical skills are there for Wimbush, and I wouldn’t even call him a developmental prospect, because he’s not a project; he’s just a guy who appears to need a little seasoning.

6. Travis Waller – QB – Anaheim (CA) Servite: Waller is a 6’3″, 185 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona and Washington. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #7 dual-threat quarterback, and #213 overall. Waller is a tantalizing prospect, but he’s a project. It’s not a surprise at all that Arizona is on his offer list – at first glance, his playing style reminds me of former Michigan commit Shavodrick Beaver. Waller has very good speed, and he’s a gangly but effective runner who shows determination and toughness in powering through tackles. His ball handling needs a lot of work, his footwork is inconsistent, and his team’s offense looks a little simple; that last point is perhaps more about his coaching than him, but nonetheless, it speaks to the level at which he’s expected to understand and perform. There are a lot of mirrored routes and simple route combinations, unlike those of a few other prospects on the list. He also plays in a somewhat gimmicky Texas Tech-style offense that has four or five receivers, extra wide splits by the linemen, etc. It’s a wide open offense that serves its purpose by opening up some lanes for him to run and throw, but it doesn’t lend itself to a lot of college systems. Waller has a somewhat long delivery, but he has a strong arm and can push the ball downfield. I mentioned Beaver up above, but his game is also somewhat reminiscent of former Baylor Bear and current Washington Redskin Robert Griffin III.

7. Kelly Bryant – QB – Piedmont (SC) Wren: Bryant is a 6’4″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Duke, Florida, North Carolina, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #19 dual-threat quarterback, and #549 overall. Bryant is a true dual-threat quarterback who can hurt teams with his arm and his legs. He lacks the speed and elusiveness of the great dual-threats, but he has good speed and is more of a slashing runner than a stop/start guy. In that aspect, he reminds me a little bit of Clemson’s Tajh Boyd. As a thrower, Bryant has decent footwork out of the shotgun, but his arm mechanics are questionable; he tends to push the ball, and because of that, he lacks great arm strength. He throws the ball well when going to his right, but he could work on squaring his shoulders when rolling to the left. Ole Miss and Clemson appear to be the leaders.

Here’s how I would rank the 20 quarterback prospects I’ve reviewed so far, and you may notice that some of them have been re-ranked. (This is mostly because I think Nussmeier wants a more mobile quarterback who can create with his feet, and it’s slightly because I’ve let things simmer for a bit longer.)

1. Josh Rosen
2. Jarrett Stidham
3. Kyle Kearns
4. Zach Gentry
5. Blake Barnett
6. Ricky Town
7. Brian Lewerke
8. Brady White
9. Kevin Dillman
10. Brandon Wimbush
11. Alex Malzone
12. Travis Waller
13. Kelly Bryant
14. Sheriron Jones
15. Nick Johns
16. Jack Beneventi
17. Jimmy Fitzgerald
18. David Sills
19. Riley Neal
20. David Edwards

Blue = Go ahead and offer these guys
Green = Offer if the first eight don’t bite
Red = I do not see this being a match

Scouting Report: Minkah Fitzpatrick

Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick (image via MGoBlog)

Name: Minkah Fitzpatrick
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 185 lbs.
High school: Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep
Position: Cornerback
Class: 2015

Notes: Holds offers from Alabama, Boston College, Connecticut, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, South Carolina, Stanford, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin . . . Claims a 4.45 forty . . . As a junior in 2013, had 62 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 21 pass breakups . . . As a sophomore in 2012, had 21 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 12 pass breakups . . . ESPN 4-star, 83 grade, #3 CB, #29 overall . . . Rivals 5-star CB, #9 overall . . . Scout 4-star, #9 CB, #69 overall . . . 247 Sports 4-star CB, 97 grade, #4 cornerback, #35 overall, #1 in New Jersey

Strengths: Lanky with long arms . . . Able to deflect passes from a trail position . . . Good straight line speed once he gets into sprinting phase . . . Playmaker who likes to go for the ball . . . Won’t settle for always making the safe play . . . Willing to be decently physical . . . Adjusts well out of backpedal to attack shorter throws . . . Takes good angles coming downhill from his part-time safety position . . . Physical runner with the ball in his hands and keeps legs churning through contact

Weaknesses: Not a big hitter . . . More of an ankle grabber . . . Does not wrap up and drive ball carriers but often tries to gator roll them to the ground . . . Needs to stay lower in his backpedal . . . Lacks ideal hip flexibility . . . May be prone to double moves and small, quick receivers . . . Can be outmuscled by bigger receivers

Projection: Cornerback. Fitzpatrick has good physical skills overall, but right now he lacks some strength, which affects multiple phases of his game. He has very good speed when he can get going, but his short area quickness is a question for me. Because of that, I think he might have more of a long-term future as a safety. A good college program should see him turn into a 195-200 lb. corner, and that added size and strength will help him be a physical press corner. I also think Fitzpatrick could be a factor in the kick return game with his ability to find seams and get upfield.

Reminds me of: Donovan Warren but faster

Likelihood of committing to Michigan: Fitzpatrick released a top ten that included Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, and South Carolina. He has a good relationship with Michigan incoming freshman cornerback Jabrill Peppers, but Michigan held off on offering Fitzpatrick for a while, which helped to allow teams like Alabama and Ohio State to build relationships. Personally, I believe the three teams with the best chance to get him are Alabama, Michigan, and Ohio State (in no particular order).

Scouting Report: Tyriq Thompson

Tyriq Thompson with his father, Clarence

Name: Tyriq Thompson
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 215 lbs.
High school: Detroit (MI) King
Position: Linebacker
Class: 2015

Notes: Holds offers from Duke, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, and Wisconsin . . . Claims a 4.7 forty . . . As a junior in 2013, had 142 tackles, 10 sacks, 7 pass breakups, and 4 forced fumbles . . . ESPN 3-star safety . . . Rivals 3-star, #29 OLB . . . Scout 4-star, #21 OLB . . . 247 Sports 3-star, 88 grade, #21 OLB . . . Son of former Michigan safety Clarence Thompson . . . Moved from Missouri prior to junior year

Strengths: Good build for a weakside linebacker . . . Starts off in a good stance on balls of feet with knees bent . . . Adequate blitzer . . . Decent straight line speed . . . Physical tackler . . . Does a good job of wrapping up ball carriers

Weaknesses: Somewhat stiff in the hips . . . Lacks great explosion . . . Takes false steps out of standard linebacker stance . . . Does not change direction well . . . Does not use hands well to shed blockers . . . Takes poor angles at times . . . Needs to run feet better on contact . . . Tries to outmuscle too many players

Projection: Weakside linebacker. Thompson plays like a middle linebacker, but his body seems more suited to the weakside linebacker position, where he might be able to get away with being 6’1″ and fairly light. I do not see him as a dynamic player at the next level, and he seems like someone who would be a depth player or a developmental prospect who might be able to step into a role later in his career. Thompson lacks ideal closing speed and does not show the necessary instincts to make up for a lack of elite athleticism. For whatever reason, I envision him playing for a team like Cincinnati.

Reminds me of: Obi Ezeh. Ezeh was one of those guys who often seemed to be a hair late or a step too slow to make the play, and I’m not sure if Thompson is that guy who can lasso running backs in the hole. He appears to be more successful when he attacks rather than reacts, but college coordinators won’t blitz him on every down. I did think Ezeh was miscast as a middle linebacker when he should have been playing on the strong side, whereas Thompson is a little lighter and should probably stay on the weak side, either in a 4-3 Under or perhaps as a weak outside ‘backer in a 3-4.

Likelihood of committing to Michigan: As mentioned above, Tyriq’s father was a Michigan safety in the mid-1990’s. Michigan State was taking the lead prior to Michigan’s offer, but now certain insiders believe that Michigan can and will pull ahead for his commitment. Either way, it appears to be a two-horse race between the in-state schools.

Highlights:

Scouting Report: Keisean Lucier-South

Orange (CA) Lutheran defensive end Keisean Lucier-South

Name: Keisean Lucier-South
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 218 lbs.
High school: Orange (CA) Lutheran
Position: Defensive end
Class: 2015

Notes: Holds offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Boise State, California, Colorado, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon State, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA, USC, Vanderbilt, and Washington . . . Claims a 4.7 forty time . . . Had 10 sacks as a junior in 2013 . . . ESPN 4-star, 82 grade, #9 DE, #65 overall . . . Rivals 4-star, #7 WDE, #80 overall . . . Scout 5-star, #2 DE . . . 247 Sports 4-star, 96 grade, #6 WDE, #57 overall

Strengths: Long-armed with good frame to add weight . . . Quick first step that gets offensive tackles to open up sooner than they like . . . Comes around corner with inside shoulder dipped . . . Plays with good knee bend . . . Spikes inside well due to leverage . . . Good change of direction . . . Lowers hips at point of contact, allowing him to stay with shorter players . . . Uses hands and long arms well to disengage from blockers and wrap up ball carriers . . . Very good speed . . . Takes proper angles and does not often need to readjust pursuit

Weaknesses: Needs to add weight and get stronger . . . Overpowers some high school linemen due to quickness and ability to play low, but needs to play more violently to beat players at next level . . . Does not display a variety of pass rush moves

Projection: Weakside end. The key for Lucier-South will be whether he maintains his athleticism while he adds weight, because he’s very thin now. If he can maintain his speed and change of direction, he should be able to remain at weakside end and give offensive tackles fits with his length and quickness. If that speed starts to dwindle once he adds another 40-50 lbs. of muscle, then he may need to move to strongside end. He plays with enough leverage to take on tight ends and tackles on the strong side, so that wouldn’t spell disaster for him. Perhaps the most encouraging thing is his pursuit angles, which combine with his understanding of leverage to suggest that he comprehends the game on a higher level than “see ball, get ball.” Also, Maxpreps named his school’s league (the Trinity League) as the #2 most difficult conference in the nation, so he’s having success against quality competition. That league includes St. John Bosco (Josh Rosen, Jaleel Wadood, Damien Mama) and Mater Dei (Matt Barkley, Matt Leinart, Max Wittek), among others.

Reminds me of: Taco Charlton. Michigan hasn’t successfully recruited many guys like Lucier-South in recent years, so while I think Lucier-South is more refined as a player than Charlton was, they are comparable when it comes to size and natural athleticism.

Likelihood of committing to Michigan: Lucier-South has been pining for a Michigan offer for a long time and called Michigan his “dream school.” Still, he lives on the west coast and is being pursued by the likes of Notre Dame, Texas, and USC, so there’s no shortage of suitors to try to convince him otherwise. No other strong leaders appear to have emerged, so I think Michigan has as good of a shot as anyone.

Scouting Report: Jeff Jones

Minneapolis (MN) Washburn running back Jeff Jones

Name: Jeff Jones
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 198 lbs.
High school: Minneapolis (MN) Washburn
Position: Running back
Class: 2014

Notes: Holds offers from Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Syracuse, and Wisconsin . . . Committed to Minnesota on February 2, 2013 . . . Claims a 4.69 forty, 275 lb. bench, 350 lb. squat, and a 32″ vertical . . . As a sophomore in 2011, had 142 carries for 1,415 yards and 26 touchdowns . . . As a junior in 2012, had 111 carries for 1,002 yards and 9 touchdowns . . . As a senior in 2013, had 167 carries for 1,525 yards and 34 touchdowns, plus 17 catches for 493 yards . . . ESPN 4-star, 83 grade, #14 RB, #181 overall . . . Rivals 4-star, #9 RB, #92 overall . . . Scout 4-star, #14 RB . . . 247 Sports 4-star, 93 grade, #13 RB, #188 overall

Strengths: Low center of gravity . . . Changes direction quickly . . . Jitterbug moves despite lacking great speed . . . Excellent patience and vision . . . Sets up blockers and defenders nicely . . . Uses variety of moves to shake free in open space . . . Deceptive power to go with agility . . . Can run around or through defenders . . . Good pass catcher . . . Adjusts well to ball in the air . . . Very physical runner who enjoys blocking unsuspecting defenders

Weaknesses: Lacks great speed . . . Not much of a home run threat . . . Does a lot of things well, but nothing outstanding in itself . . . Poor route runner, though that can easily be taught at the running back position . . . Appears to be a trash talker and occasionally slows up before end of play

Projection: Running back. At a shade under 200 lbs., Jones will likely want to add some weight to his frame in college, but I don’t think he should get above 210-215 lbs. Adding too much weight might slow him down when he’s not particularly fast in the first place. He’s a good all-purpose back who can run the ball inside or stay on the field for third downs to block or be a pass catcher out of the backfield. He probably won’t be able to get the edge on many teams, so he’s a between-the-tackles type of runner. With a good offensive line, he has a chance to be a productive college runner, but I think he lacks the burst to be a superstar.

Reminds me of: Marshawn Lynch . . . but slower. Jones has the vision and physicality to warrant the Lynch comparison, but Lynch was a home run threat in college. Jones plays mediocre competition in Minneapolis and won’t be able to run away from college athletes.

Likelihood of committing to Michigan: Jones is a soft commitment to the Minnesota Gophers and has been committed for nearly a year. He has visited Iowa State and entertained offers from Florida and Michigan. An official visit to Ann Arbor is set for January 24th. Most analysts believe the Wolverines have the best chance of flipping Jones. I believe the recent hire of offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, who has had productive running backs at every stop, might be the thing to get Michigan over the hump.

Highlights: Jones’s senior highlights can be found on Hudl.