Tag: TTB ratings

Final TTB Ratings for 2016

Rashan Gary

This post has been delayed for a bit. It probably would have been done sooner if not for the fact that Michigan got commitments from 29 players in the class of 2016, so there was a lot of film to review. Also, life got in the way a couple weekends ago when I planned to spend some time putting together this post.

Anyway, these ratings are designed to project how I see their careers developing at Michigan. For example, a running back who might get a chance to shine early at Indiana could be in a tooth-and-nail battle for playing time at Michigan. So these ratings are specific to Michigan, and do not necessarily reflect a prospect’s overall ability.

Ranked from highest final rating to lowest final rating, here are Michigan’s members of the 2016 class:

Rashan Gary: 100
He’s the consensus #1 prospect in the country, and his game translates well to a lot of places, including the NFL.

TE Devin Asiasi: 92
With his prodigious talent and Jim Harbaugh’s usage of the tight end, I see no reason why Asiasi – who is big, can block, can catch, and can run – can’t be a high draft pick in three to five years. Sometimes other things get in the way, but he’s the most well rounded TE prospect to come to Michigan in a long time.

CB David Long: 92
I still think Long is an excellent prospect who brings a good combination of physicality and athleticism, along with a good head on his shoulders.

Hit the jump for the rest of the 2016 recruiting class.

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Initial TTB Ratings for 2015

Richmond (VA) St. Christopher’s CB Garrett Taylor

Here are the initial TTB Ratings for the class of 2015 (ratings explanation).

CB Garrett Taylor – Richmond (VA) St. Christopher’s: 85
Taylor has the makings of being a very good player. He has size, speed, leaping ability, physicality, and is reportedly a quality kid. I’m not sure if I see the coverage instincts to pop him up into the 90’s, but he should be a very good cornerback or perhaps safety in a few years. (Commitment post.)

CB Shaun Crawford – Lakewood (OH) St. Edward: 79
I like Crawford as a prospect. He has great speed, and he is also very physical for someone his size. I do have some questions about whether he can play man coverage, because he doesn’t have a ton of experience doing that in high school. I think a 79 here is a baseline, but if he attends an event like The Opening or the Rivals 5-star Challenge, he could show some of those man coverage skills to sway me upward. (Commitment post.)

S Tyree Kinnel – Huber Heights (OH) Wayne: 74
When I look at Kinnel, I see a high school version of Thomas Gordon. He doesn’t wow me with his athletic skills, but he comes up with some solid tackles and seems to be in the right place at the right time. He looks like a solid safety prospect but does not appear to be a star. (Commitment post.)

OG Jon Runyan, Jr. – Natrona Heights (PA) St. Joseph’s: 73
Runyan is a decent athlete, but for being the son of a former NFL player, I think he’s lacking somewhat in football instincts. He comes out of his stance a little high, doesn’t seem to have a great deal of power, and gets overextended at times. As a legacy player, he seems like someone who would stick around, so he would have a while to develop. He’s not a player who leaps off the screen, though. (Commitment post.)

K Andrew David – Massillon (OH) Washington: N/A
I don’t really know enough about kickers to evaluate them. (Commitment post.)

Final TTB Ratings for 2014

Michael Ferns, Wilton Speight, Jabrill Peppers, Juwann Bushell-Beatty, Bryan Mone, and Jared Wangler

Drum roll, please.

It’s that time of year, time for the final TTB Ratings of the 2014 recruiting cycle. Everyone signed his National Letter of Intent back in February, you say? Pshaw. Not Malik McDowell. Nope. McDowell is still holding out and likely to be attending Michigan State in the fall. I was waiting to see if he would compromise with his parents and sign a NLI to Michigan, but that window passed on April 1st.

So here they are. Check out the rating scale (LINK) if you’re unfamiliar or just want a refresher. Keep in mind that these ratings take into account the other players on the roster. So for example, the second-best middle linebacker on the roster might find himself sitting on the bench for several years not because he’s terrible but because the other guy is really good.

The 2015 TTB Ratings will be coming soon, now that the 2014 cycle is finished.

CB Jabrill Peppers – Paramus (NJ) Catholic: 100
I’m keeping Peppers right where I ranked him initially. He still looks like the best player at his position in the class, and his versatility (he could play safety, return punts and kicks, and perhaps play some offense) makes him an even more valuable commodity. (Commitment post.)

WR Drake Harris – Grand Rapids (MI) Christian: 93
I have no reason to downgrade Harris from where I ranked him after his junior year, except for the fact that he missed his entire senior season with a hamstring injury. The injury concerns me and is still nagging him this spring, but it’s impossible for me to say whether that will affect him going forward in his career. Considering injuries can derail anyone’s career, I’m going to leave Harris at this rating and hope that he recovers and develops fully. (Commitment post.)

DT Bryan Mone – Salt Lake City (UT) Highland: 79 88
Watching Mone from his junior to his senior year, he looked to have added some weight and lost a step. When he played in the Under Armour All-America Game, I thought he looked slow and a little lethargic, but that was roughly two months after his season ended, so maybe he was just out of shape. Either way, I see a guy on film who can stay low and who uses a violent hand strike to disengage from blockers. While he can probably be whipped into shape a little bit, he’s not a nose tackle who will amaze people with his athleticism, but he should be an active clogger up the middle. (Commitment post.)

OG Mason Cole – Tarpon Springs (FL) East Lake: 87
Another guy who has already received some practice hype as an early enrollee, I like the way Cole bends and I like his lateral quickness. He has been playing some tackle this spring, but I’m not sure if that’s his long-term position because he’s not the longest guy around. Wherever he ends up, I think he’ll be a good player down the road. (Commitment post.)

LB Michael Ferns – St. Clairsville (OH) St. Clairsville: 83 85
Ferns can be slightly hesitant to diagnose plays, but otherwise, I think he has almost everything the coaches would want in a linebacker. He could be more physical when shedding blocks, but I think that’s something that can be taught for him. Otherwise, he runs well, does a good job in space, and is a forceful tackler. (Commitment post.)

WR Freddy Canteen – Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy: N/A 83
Film on Canteen is scarce, and what I saw of him early basically came from his quarterback’s (David Sills’) highlight tape. I can’t say whether spring practice hype has altered my viewpoint on him, but it has been positive. Regardless, I commented on his quickness and route-running ability when he committed, and that seems to be giving Michigan defensive backs problems so far, too. He reminds me of Wes Welker with his quick feet and could be effective in the slot like Roy Roundtree was back in 2010. (Commitment post.)

WR Maurice Ways – Detroit (MI) Country Day: 77 81
I might be a little higher on Ways than the recruiting services, but I really like all three wide receiver recruits in the 2014 class. Ways has reportedly had problems with his hands at certain points, but he didn’t concentrate solely on football until his junior year. His hands improved as a senior, and he reminds me of a Marquise Walker type who has good enough speed and size to threaten deep but won’t be a big-play machine. (Commitment post.)

LB Chase Winovich – Clairton (PA) Thomas Jefferson: 79
The more I’ve seen of Winovich, the more I’ve become convinced that he’ll be a solid player. I really see him as a SAM in an Under defense, so I’m not sure exactly how he fits if Michigan goes to an Over look semi-permanently. He definitely needs to get stronger, because he’s a willing hitter but ball carriers just don’t go down with the ease they should when he hits them. (Commitment post.)

QB Wilton Speight – Richmond (VA) Benedictine: 77
I feel comfortable with this rating. I still don’t see “star” written all over Speight, but he should have a couple years under offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier (who will probably be a head coach somewhere by the time Speight graduates), sit behind Devin Gardner and Shane Morris, and then have a couple years to compete for the starting position. He has good arm strength and has improved his mechanics over the past year, and he has already shown good leadership skills with the way he helped recruit in the 2014 class. (Commitment post.)

TE Ian Bunting – Hinsdale (IL) Central: 78 75
Bunting played more tight end as a senior than he did as a junior, when he was exclusively a wideout. He still has a lot to learn about blocking, so it would probably behoove him to redshirt, add some weight, and learn blocking techniques. He doesn’t have the physical mentality that I saw out of Butt, so I have some questions about whether he can break tackles and block like a Big Ten Y tight end would need to do. He doesn’t have the speed to split out like Devin Funchess has done. (Commitment post.)

DE Lawrence Marshall – Southfield (MI) Southfield: 72 74
Marshall’s highlights are a series of plays on which he is unblocked or has to fend off terrible attempts at chop blocks. He does have good speed and leaping ability, but disengaging from blockers is a question mark. For that reason, he reminds me a bit of Mario Ojemudia coming out of high school. I rated Ojemudia as a 78, and he’s still looking like he’ll be a backup to Frank Clark with two years of eligibility left. I liked Marshall’s senior film better than his junior year, but not by a ton. (Commitment post.)

DT Brady Pallante – Naples (FL) Barron Collier: 70 69
I’ve said before that Pallante reminds me of a slower Mike Martin. He’s got the leverage, the hand violence, and the knack for shedding blocks. He won’t be the biggest guy, and his lack of explosiveness will prevent him from being the TFL machine that was Martin. I don’t see Pallante as a star, but I do see him as a solid rotation player down the road. I’m knocking him down just one peg because I don’t see him having much NFL draft potential with his size. (Commitment post.)

OT Juwann Bushell-Beatty – Paramus (NJ) Catholic: 68
After watching his senior highlights and seeing him in the Under Armour All-America Game, Bushell-Beatty looks like a guy who might be more suited to playing inside at guard. I would have concerns about him being quick enough to play on the edge, and he’s more of a waist bender than a knee bender. With the other talent surrounding him, I think he might get pushed to the back of the pack, although he could be one of those guys who emerges as an upperclassmen to fill a void. (Commitment post.)

LB Noah Furbush – Kenton (OH) Kenton: 64
Furbush reminds me an awful lot of Brennen Beyer, who has played linebacker and defensive end at Michigan. I was fairly high on Beyer coming out of high school, but his play in college has been somewhat forgettable. Furbush was recruited as MIKE, but he looks like a future defensive end or maybe a SAM linebacker if Michigan runs the Under front. (Commitment post.)

LB Jared Wangler – Warren (MI) De La Salle: 59
Wangler, who played defense mostly as a safety in high school, lacks the foot speed to be a safety in college. He will probably bulk up a little bit and play linebacker. Initially, I thought that he played like a SAM linebacker in a WILL’s body, but with Michigan’s supposed move to the Over front, I think Wangler fits well as a SAM, period. I think he is limited athletically and doesn’t have the biggest frame, but he has a chance because he’s a heady, aggressive player. Regardless, the Wolverines have brought in some good talent at linebacker over the past couple years, so it may be tough for Wangler to move past them. (Commitment post.)

S Brandon Watson – Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy: Incomplete
I still have not seen enough of Watson to offer an opinion here. He has been playing safety this spring and reports have been positive, but practice reports are to be taken with a grain of salt. (Commitment post.)

Initial TTB Ratings for 2014

For the last few years, I’ve been putting together ratings for Michigan’s commitments.  When coming up with a rating, I generally try to picture how the player will fit into Michigan’s scheme and depth chart.  Certain wide receivers might be all-conference at one school but second-stringers at another.  Here’s a link to the explanation of the ratings.  I reserve the right to change these ratings throughout the recruiting cycle, but here’s where Michigan’s current four commits will start:

OG Mason Cole: 87 (commitment post)

LB Michael Ferns III: 83 (commitment post)

DT Bryan Mone: 79 (commitment post)

QB Wilton Speight: 77 (commitment post)

Final TTB Ratings for 2013

Maurice Hurst, Jr. made the biggest leap in the final TTB Ratings

Here are the finalized TTB Ratings for the class of 2013.  Discuss!

Derrick Green – RB – Richmond (VA) Hermitage: 92 95
The more I think about the offensive line Michigan is building, the more I think Green is going to have a very good career in a winged helmet.  He could very well be the starter by his sophomore year, if not as a freshman.

Dymonte Thomas – S – Alliance (OH) Marlington: 92 89
I’m downgrading Thomas because I don’t know that he’s an All-American candidate, which is what a 90+ grade entails.  I think he will still be a very good player and turn into an all-conference player as a strong safety.

Kyle Bosch – OG – Wheaton (IL) St. Francis: 88
I’m going to leave Bosch right where he is.  He looks like an excellent guard prospect, and I like his nastiness.

Shane Morris – QB – Warren (MI) De La Salle: 89 87
Morris still has all the physical schools he has ever had – strong arm, decent athleticism – and has shown with his recruiting that he has some leadership skills.  It just seems like he has some limitations on seeing the whole field and making good decisions.

Patrick Kugler – C – Wexford (PA) North Allegheny: 83 86
With a couple years between Jack Miller and Kugler, the latter should have at least a couple seasons as a starter.  I liked what I saw of him at the Under Armour All-American Game.

Chris Fox – OT – Parker (CO) Ponderosa: 90 85
Fox’s ACL tear concerns me some. He’s still a big body who’s pretty athletic, but I fear that this injury might put him behind some of the other linemen to begin..

Jourdan Lewis – CB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: 86 84
Lewis isn’t the biggest, strongest, or fastest recruit out there, but he shows good change of direction and ball skills.  I like him as a college cornerback, but he might be limited beyond that.

Jake Butt – TE – Pickerington (OH) North: 82
I’m leaving Butt right where he is. He’s not a “next generation” tight end who can run really fast and jump really high, but he’s a very solid prospect.  He should have no problem turning into a good blocker at the very least.

Ben Gedeon – LB – Hudson (OH) Hudson: 82 81
I still like Gedeon, but I have slightly more confidence in Butt as a prospect.  I like turning running backs into linebackers, and he has experience at both positions.

Da’Mario Jones – WR – Westland (MI) John Glenn: 79 81
As Michigan’s passing offense improves and they can find more ways to get the ball to receivers, I like Jones’s skill set more.  He’s not an absolute blazer, but he offers a dimension of speed that some other recent receiver recruits lack.

Henry Poggi – DT – Baltimore (MI) Gilman: 81 79
Watching Poggi in the Under Armour All-American Game, I still think Poggi looks like a good prospect for the college level – he played very well – but I’m not sure he’ll have the size or explosion to be a serious NFL prospect down the road.

Maurice Hurst, Jr. – DT – Westwood (MA) Xaverian Brothers: 73 78
I always liked Hurst’s athleticism, but I like his energy, too.  After seeing his senior highlights and his performance in the Semper Fi All-American Bowl, I think he has some potential to be a pretty good player down the road.

Csont’e York – WR – Harper Woods (MI) Chandler Park Academy: 79 77
York’s rating doesn’t change much, but I have less confidence in him than Poggi.  He still has considerable upside because he can go up and get the ball, but he’s not a dynamic athlete.

Taco Charlton – DE – Pickerington (OH) Central: 75 76
Charlton has the speed to stick at weakside end, but he keeps growing and growing. I wonder if at some point he might be too heavy to play WDE and end up as a strongside end. Considering some lacking technique, that could be troublesome.

Logan Tuley-Tillman – OT – Peoria (IL) Manual: 79 75
I’m downgrading Tuley-Tillman a little bit because he’s so raw.  He’s helped by the fact that he’s the only left tackle prospect in this class, but it’s tough to get a feel for him.  Pass protection is still a huge issue for him as he learns.

Mike McCray II – LB – Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: 74
This seems to be a pretty good spot for McCray. It’s unclear whether he’ll finally end up at SAM or MIKE. He’s a good athlete, but I have questions about his ability to read plays quickly.  I might be in favor of putting him at SAM, where he would be in a position to attack more often than having to read and react.

Channing Stribling – CB – Matthews (NC) Butler: 73
I thought about bumping up Stribling, but I just don’t think I can do it.  He showed his ability to make plays in high school, but I just don’t think he has the speed to be a dynamic player in college.  Most of Michigan’s good corners over the past 15 years or so have been fast or at least quick, but I don’t see that in Stribling.

David Dawson – OG – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: 67 71
I’m bumping Dawson up a little bit, because I think he could be a starter later in his career.  Anyone who becomes a starter with the way Michigan is recruiting has to be pretty good player, but I don’t see a particularly high ceiling for him.

Delano Hill – CB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: 71 69
Hill has lots of physical talent, but if he were a great playmaker, he would have been rated higher by the recruiting services.  He seems to be a guy who could be a very good special teamer and earn spot duty in college, but he’s a man without a position – is he a corner or a safety? – and there’s talent at those spots already.

Wyatt Shallman – RB – Novi (MI) Catholic Central: 65
I think this is a pretty good spot for Shallman.  I don’t think he will ever be a starter at running back, although he could be a factor at fullback or U-back in the future.  He also has the ability to contribute on defense, but Shallman and the coaches have been insistent that he’ll play offense.

Ross Douglas – CB – Avon (OH) Avon: 63
Douglas was recruited to play slot corner, and when you combine that with his lack of great size, I think he’s somewhat limited when projecting him beyond college.  I think he could be a solid slot corner in the same vein as Brandon Harrison.

DeVeon Smith – RB – Warren (OH) Howland: 63
I thought about bumping Smith up because I truly believe that Michigan will be putting together some good rushing seasons in the coming years because of the offensive line, and not totally because of the talent of the running backs.  I do not believe Smith has the speed to be a dynamic running back himself, but he might put up good numbers as a backup and perhaps eventual successor to Green.

Reon Dawson – CB – Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: 62
Dawson does have some potential to outperform this ranking, but he’s behind some of the other guys in technical prowess.  The speed and size are there.  It just depends on how it all comes together.

Khalid Hill – TE – Detroit (MI) East English Village: 68 60
Hill can fill a role on this team, but he has talent ahead of him and his lack of speed or size sort of limits his upside.

Dan Samuelson – OG – Plymouth (IN) Plymouth: 65 59
I think Samuelson will be a quality backup down the road, who could make a spot start and be fine.  However, I think he’s someone who might get lost in the shuffle with the rest of the linemen Michigan is getting.

Jaron Dukes – WR – Columbus (OH) Marion Franklin: 70 58
Dukes didn’t have a great senior season, and I already had questions about him going into the 2012 season.  He doesn’t have great speed, and he doesn’t look like a lithe athlete who can make up for that speed deficiency with acrobatics.

Scott Sypniewski – LS – Ottawa (IL) : Incomplete
I don’t know enough about long snappers around the country to offer an opinion here.