Michigan Football: Why 5-Star LB Cameron McGrone could start in 2018
After a dominant showing at the Army All-American Bowl, Michigan football signee Cameron McGrone is now a 5-star. He could also be a starter in 2018.
Michigan football may not have a top-5 or even a top-10 recruiting class in 2018, but with guys like Cameron McGrone, the Wolverines have more than enough talent heading to Ann Arbor.
In the grand scheme of things, recruiting rankings and things of that nature shouldn’t really matter much. But of course, it provides great fodder for fans. It also does give some indication about who is going to be good and who isn’t, although it’s not foolproof.
Michigan football has had three-star players dominate and five-star guys sit on the bench. Some can’t live up to the potential of being a five-star prospect, while others thrive on the motivation of being underestimated.
Yet, that doesn’t mean you want to stay away from five-star players, of course the opposite is true. And with the release of the new 247sports recruiting rankings, Michigan football added a five-star recruit to its 2018 class and that’s McGrone.
McGrone got the upgrade after a stellar week at the Army All-American Bowl. The 6-1, 220-pound outside linebacker stood out during the week of practice and played well in the game too. Because of that, he was upgraded in the final rankings.
McGrone went from being considered a four-star to a five-star prospect. He also jumped up to the No. 24 ranked player in the entire 2018 class. As I said, ratings don’t matter, not when spring ball starts, but if McGrone really is that good, he should have no problem cracking the starting lineup next season.
Land of 10, which covers the Big Ten, released a depth chart for Michigan football that had Devin Gil and Jordan Anthony battling it out for Mike McCray’s old job. Don’t get me wrong, both are solid players. Gil is a former safety with speed and Anthony was a 4-star recruit in 2017.
But it wouldn’t be shocking to see McGrone come in and usurp them both. Don Brown is going to want to play his three best linebackers and by the time fall camp rolls around, that could be Devin Bush, Noah Furbush and McGrone.
Bush, as good as he was, didn’t start right away. He had to bide his time on special teams and McGrone might too. Yet, the depth chart isn’t as loaded with talent as it was when Bush was a freshman. Michigan football has a void at outside linebacker and the 5-star freshman could be the ideal guy to fill it.
As he showed at the Army Bowl, he’s a legit three-down linebacker. He can cover, he can tackle and he can run. McGrone and Bush together could be a nightmare for offenses. Hopefully, it’s a combination we get to see next season.
If not, Bush might be off to the NFL and we might never see them start together. However, if that does happen, it’s possible McGrone could be his successor and not just as the starter inside, but as the next star of the linebackers.
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Bush is an explosive player that impacts just about every game. When he leaves, Michigan football will need someone to fill that void and McGrone, whether he starts or not next season, seems perfectly suited to do so.