Coach’s Corner: Grading the Michigan 2010 Recruiting Class — Part 2 of 3
Posted at 8:00am — 2/13/2010
Coach’s Corner: Grading the Michigan 2010 Recruiting Class — Part 2 of 3
This is about the fifth revision. Why so? The 2010 class is a tough group to evaluate, because after the top twelve, or so, most of the players are very close as to upside and actual to-date, on the field, performance.
Going in reverse order:
18) Courtney Avery:
Courtney is a very smooth and fluid athlete. He has excellent hips and jumps routes very well. But Courtney lacks top end speed. Like many in this class, Courtney is of high academic standing.
Grade: On Film B … Ceiling B
17) Christian Pace:
Christian is a bit undersized, but is a very physical interior line prospect. He moves his feet very well and finishes his blocks, driving people off the line of scrimmage. Ponder this question: will Christian play guard or center?
Grade: On Film B … Ceiling B
16) Antonio Kinard:
Antonio is an interesting prospect with good size and moves well. He is a player who has not put it together yet. The skills are there to be very good in Coach Bt’s opinion. Ohio State really liked this recruit and seriously considered offering and were hoping to sneak in late. Ponder this question: like many of the front seven recruits, what position will Antonio end up at?
Grade On Film C+ … Ceiling B
15) Jake Ryan:
Jake is a big, physical linebacker, one that is well schooled and coached. He has solid movement for his size. Michigan now has a linebacker who will be a better fit at middle linebacker than at outside linebacker. Ponder this: what will Jake need to work on most to get set in a starting role?
Grade: On Film B- … Ceiling B
14) Conelius Jones:
Conelius has good size and overall athletic ability. This is a very tough projection, but players with this combination of size and athletic skill are always worth a shot. Ponder this question: will Conelius settle for a back-up role, or will he shift quickly to another position?
Grade: On Film C+ … Ceiling B
13) Ken Wilkins:
Here is a very physical player with a nasty attitude. At the time of his early commitment, Ken Wilkins was likely the best defensive player Michigan had yet recruited. He is not as athletic as those rated above, but the closer to the line of scrimmage Ken plays, the better he plays. Ponder this question: which of several possible positions will Ken end up playing on defense?
Grade: On Film B- … Ceiling B+
12) Josh Furman:
Josh is a football player with scary physical measurables. He, like Devin Gardner and Demar Dorsey, deserves the label of super athlete. Josh runs well in straight lines for his size, he just does not seem to play as fast as he runs. Frequently this is attributable to decision-making and field vision/perception. If Josh puts it all together, he could be very good. Hopefully, Josh will have the advantage of strong Coach Robinson linebacker coaching throughout his career and becomes more instinctive and reactive. Ponder this question: will Josh be a career hybrid searching for a spot (like some on the current roster), or will he settle into becoming a true force with his athleticism?
Grade: On Film C+ … Ceiling B+
11) Austin White:
Austin is a very good athlete, whose skills fit well in zone schemes. He has very good hands and is somewhat elusive. He needs to get stronger but appears to have the frame to put on more weight. Like many players, opinion varies on his eventual success at the college level. Austin can swing wide with good dip in and out cuts, hurt a defense out of the backfield, and run reasonably well between the tackles. In short, Austin is a jack-of-all-trades all purpose back, one that can be used in many game situations. He seems to have very good intangibles. To play, Austin will likely need to master blocking proficiency. Ponder this question: can Austin eventually take on the number one back job, or will he be a role player in the offense?
Grade: On film B … Ceiling B+
10) Carvin Johnson:
This guy is a flat out football player, one that “kind of” came out of nowhere. Carvin just loves to play the game, he is fundamentally very sound, has good quickness, and his feet never stop. Ponder this question: Will Carvin be the biggest surprise of this recruiting class and become a bigger contributor than some of the higher rated recruits?
Grade: On Film B … Ceiling B+
9) Ricardo Miller:
Ricardo is a big, strong split-end, who has very good hands. He also is not a top end burner but makes up for a lack of top end speed with length (size and stretch) and running good routes. This young man is A+ on intangibles and he bleeds Blue! It would not be surprising by his junior year to hear Ricardo referred to as a coach on the field. Ponder these questions: will Ricardo become the best wide-out blocker and how will the coaching staff draw up routes to take advantages of Ricardo’s strengths?
Grade On Film B … Ceiling B+
Part 3 of 3 tomorrow of counting down the rankings of the recruits in reverse order.
Written by GBMW Staff
Go Blue — Wear Maize!
