Michigan Football Recruiting: Mason Cole — 2014 Time Capsule
Posted at 4:00pm — 2/7/2014
Michigan Football Recruiting: Mason Cole — 2014 Time Capsule
Mason Cole is already on campus getting ready for spring practice to start February 25th. While enrolled early not only gets him prepared for spring football, but also getting acclimated in a few classes as well and being a student-athlete at the college level eight months ahead of the normal student at the University of Michigan. Even though he enrolled early he is likely to red-shirt which isn’t uncommon for most incoming freshman.
GBMWolverine Readers: Here is a overview of University of Michigan 2014 Signed Commit Mason Cole.
Height: 6’5
Weight: 284
Birthday: March 28, 1996
Number: 52
Current Position: Offensive Line
Future Position: Offensive Tackle
City/State: Tarpon Springs, Florida
High School: East Lake
Head Coach: Bob Hudson
Recruiter: Coach Darrell Funk and Coach Jeff Hecklinski
Official Visit: 12/13/2013
Committed: 2/25/2013
GPA: 3.7
Top Offers: Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Stanford.
All-Star Game: 2014 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
Class: 2014 Michigan Wolverine Recruiting Class (Signed).
Follow Mason: on Twitter
Coach Hoke on Cole:
“Mason’s a very good athlete, good feet. He was a dominant offensive lineman in that conference at East Lake.”
Key Stats:
Four-year starter for his high school football team.
Honors:
Participated in the 2014 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Named to the USA TODAY Sports Preseason High School All-America Team prior to senior season. Named a first-team all-state and a first-team all-area selection as a junior.
Rankings:
24/7: .
ESPN: .
Rivals: .
Scout: .
Note: Stars do matter, but are not absolute in predicting success within a football program. So, with that in mind the GBMWolverine Staff has cleverly come up with a new system of ranking. We are using footballs instead of stars, how can one argue against a system that clever? Below are the interpretations of football power predicted way too boldly long before it matters. In other words, we will give informed opinion with the crystal ball and let the players determine what will happen through years of hard work.
Criteria: Raw talent, athleticism, position of need, intangibles.
10 footballs: Instant impact player.
9 footballs: Three or four-year starter at a high level.
8 footballs: A starter with all league potential.
7 footballs: A meaningful starter at some time during a career.
6 footballs: A spot starter or special teams player.
5 footballs: Not in the two deep after a two years.
4 footballs: Never made it.
1-3 footballs: See the above.
Remember just as we did during the season with grading positions or groups we are very tough graders and expect a lot out of those positions or players so this is no different here.
His Recruiting Story:
He did a lot of traveling to see various college programs that offered him such as Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, and Michigan. He came to Michigan with fellow teammate and former Michigan commit from the 2015 class George Campbell.
“It was just a gut feeling really. I had been up there a third time and everything just felt right. I just felt at home. I had my heart set on it before I went home, but I wanted to talk to my head coach in person first before I did anything.” Said Cole, “I was on the phone with Coach Hoke and everyone else was in the room you could hear everyone else in the background cheering (laughter). They were all excited.” In Cole they’ve have secured a prospect with attributes similar to those exhibited by many of his predecessors. He possesses prototypical size at 6-5, 280, a disposition that has been described as nasty, and a willingness to do whatever is necessary to help his team. “They see me as a tackle, but it’s wherever I can play early,” Cole said describing his projected role at Michigan. “They see me as versatile. I can play anywhere. Staying at tackle would be my preference, but it doesn’t really matter to me.”
GBMWolverine Commentary:
Mason Cole showed strong interest in recruiting. He has very good feet, is athletic for his size, possesses a solid frame, one that is very capable of filling out to the needed bulk for Big Ten linemen, and appears to have traits that would put him in the get it club. So, again, Michigan is attracting quality players that have positives well beyond the classroom.
Mason can play the entire line, he is that versatile. His high school career found Mason at Left Tackle protecting a highly touted quarterback. The most telling attribute is Mason’s long offer list from the traditional giants of college football. Many programs took note early of Mason’s potential.
Overview:
Mason is a versatile offensive lineman capable of playing anywhere on the line. Indeed he has a very impressive offer sheet. One trait that may make Mason a candidate for tackle is nice long arms and also his overall length. Mason’s team made a nice run in the Florida play-offs last season. His team plays in the big division. Of note is Mason is an excellent student with a reported 3.7 GPA.
Strengths:
Mason shows a nice edge to his game at times. We would like to see him display this trait with more consistency. He moves his feet very well and shows an excellent get off and overall strong movement skills. Mason is just not another big high school student that can just push people around through strength. He destroys linebackers at the 2nd level. Attached to the above evaluation is the fact that mason has a large frame with good agility and he shows very good bend at his knees. Pass pro sets well with a nice wide base. As mentioned, with a throwing quarterback, Mason has demonstrated well above average pass protection.
As mentioned, Mason needs to be a bit more consistent. At times he plays a bit high, so we will need to watch his pad level development. His feet also stop moving on contact once in a while. As with most high school linemen, Mason will need to add size and strength.
Red-shirt or play his Freshman Year?
GBMWolverine believes he will definitely red-shirt his first year like almost all incoming offensive linemen.
Mason Cole reminds the GBMWolverine Staff of — Former Michigan Football Player — David Baas — who played Offensive Line.
Video Highlights:
Final Thoughts:
Another solid offensive line commitment and another solid scholar and citizen.
We welcome Mason Cole 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!
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Written by GBMWolverine Staff
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