GBMWolverine: Michigan Football Recruiting — Joe Bolden (LB) — 2012 Verbal Commit — Profile
Posted at 6:00am — 4/30/2011
GBMWolverine: Michigan Football Recruiting — Joe Bolden (LB) — 2012 Verbal Commit — Profile
GBMWolverine readers: Here is a brief overview of recent verbal commitment Joe Bolden from Cincinnati Colerain High School — Cincinnati, Ohio.
Height: 6’2
Weight: 225
Number: 7
Current Position: Linebacker
Future Position: Linebacker (Middle)/possible Sam
City/State: Cincinnati, Ohio
High School: Cincinnati Colerain
Head Coach: Tom Bolden (Joe’s Uncle) Joe’s father (Dan) is Athletic Director at Cincinnati Colerain.
Recruiter: Coach Mark Smith
Committed: 4/29/2011
Top 5 other Offers: Iowa, Penn State, Stanford, Syracuse and Tennessee.
Rankings: 24/7: 4-star … ESPN: 4-star … Rivals: 4-star … Scout: 4-star.
Vertical: 32″
GPA: 3.9
Class: 2012 Michigan Wolverine Recruiting Class (Verbal Commit).
Overview:
Joe Bolden plays linebacker in one of the top leagues in Ohio (Division I — Greater Miami Conference).
He is a big, physical specimen with the frame to be even bigger and stronger.
Joe has the skills to play either Middle linebacker, or Sam Linebacker in Michigan's defense.
He is a very strong student with a 3.9 core GPA.
In short, he is a Stanford, Notre Dame, Michigan type of student.
Joe is an all-around athlete and plays baseball who might try and play college baseball at Michigan.
Strengths:
Bolden is very physical and definitely passes the sight test.
He reads plays well and is strong at the line of scrimmage.
As a bonus Joe shows surprising agility and lateral movement skills.
Joe has an excellent motor and makes plays from sideline to sideline.
Needs work:
At times, Joe avoids blockers instead of taking them on straight up as much as we would like.
Joe will need to add some weight and get stronger.
Like every defensive player, there are common things Joe can work on, foremost avoid getting too high and maintaining leverage at all times.
Final Thoughts:
Here is another prototypical Big Ten Conference linebacker with skills, both tangible and intangible to be a captain one day at Michigan.
Here is another plug and play linebacker allowing for faster development of this position.
The linebacker corps of 2012 is shaping up to be one of Michigan’s best in years.
We welcome Joe Bolden to Michigan and hope he has a successful career on and off the football field as a student-athlete at the University of Michigan. Go Blue!
Red-shirt or play his Freshman Year?
GBMWolverine believes he will likely play his first year, but of course we would like to see him red-shirt and not be counted on his freshman year. We are hearing rumblings from his coaches that Joe is looking to try and graduate early so he can enroll to Michigan and participate in spring football. If that happens we believe Joe will likely play for sure his freshman year.
Joe Bolden reminds the GBMWolverine Staff of — Former Michigan Football Player — Victor Hobson — who played Linebacker.
Highlight Videos:
Joe Bolden: Junior Year — #7
Joe Bolden: Sophomore Year — #25
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Written by GBMWolverine Staff
Go Blue — Wear Maize!